Opinions on claiming temporary hearing loss after SD shooting - pros/cons?

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Kor

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This thought has been bouncing around in my head for the past week, so I thought I'd run it past the rest of the forum:

Would there be any benefit(or conversely, any negatives) to claiming temporary hearing loss after a self-defense shooting?

Specifically, I was thinking that claiming temporary hearing loss(while also politely refusing to answer any questions without my lawyer present) might be a useful gambit to give me a little breathing room if an overly eager or aggressive LEO/investigator attempts to interrogate me immediately after a SD shooting. I've had a primer detonate unintentionally within 3 feet of my unprotected ear while handloading ammo commercially, and my hearing took around 3 hours to start coming back to normal, so I don't think this would seem unreasonable to claim.

In conjunction, if I ask him to write down his questions in his notebook, this results in a written verbatim record of his questions AND slows the interrogation process down somewhat as he writes, I read, and then frame my responses and write my answers(which are going to be both non-speculative and as minimally informative as possible while remaining totally truthful).

So, what do the rest of you think(especially LEO's) - worth a try, or is this a case of being too cute for my own good?
 
Too cute for your own good

If you're suffering from temporary hearing loss, tell whoever you want. If your hearing is fine, do not lie to the police.
 
If your hearing is fine, do not lie to the police.

yeah. Don't lie to cops, it tends to really tick them off. Especially when your life and liberty is o the line.

Just ask for a lawyer, don't say anything else. Second, most LEO o responding will be running tape with a belt mike. they might have a digital or tape recorder. Our department mandates that we carry and use our issued digital recorders. Even later with a lawyer present have them record and you may very well have your own recorder present.
 
As said, as soon as you start making excuses you sound guilty.

You have the right to an attorney.
Invoke your right politely and that will be that. You might get arrested, you might get hassled.

Smile and quietly go with the nice officers and wait for your lawyer.
 
I am only a civilian/citizen but my take is if you will lie to me about anything you will lie to me whenever it suits your purpose and I will conduct my dealings with you accordingly. You have a right to not say anything without your attorney present - invoke it.
 
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God forbid you (or anyone) ever actually has to be in a self defense situaton, but if you are...
1) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO LEGAL COUNSEL. Once you have asked for that right to be fulfilled...
2) YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT...so take a big dose of shut the heck up!

Zipped lips might make the cop(s) on the scene handle you more roughly but believe me you will NEVER make the -overall- situation worse by keeping your MOUTH SHUT.

The old "oh, clamming up and lawyering up, y'know that makes you look pretty guilty" ploy is just that, a trick.

Any evasions or other stuff you might try will come back to haunt you. It's simple, clam-up!
 
The last thing you would want if you were charged is the officer to get on the stand and say you were playing games with them to avoid questions. It might make it look like you were of questionable character. Just ask to speak to a lawyer.
 
Bad idea. However you do want to go to a hospital to be checked out for any physical problems. Doctors tend to be a little hesitant to allow patients to be pestered with questions while under their care.
 
:mad:

DO NOT LIE! This kind of ploy could easily backfire, especially if you go to trial. Jurors, like most people, dislike liars. If you are exposed as a liar, your credibility (and the rest of your case) will be prejudiced thereby.

If you are involved in a SD incident, when the police arrive, politely but firmly insist on having your attorney present. Tell them you will happily discuss the incident once you have spoken with your counsel (and he/she has advised you accordingly). Until then, no talking!

The triggers for a Miranda warning are typically: (1) custody; and (2) questioning. If the police arrive and you just run your mouth, bad idea. This can and will be used against you.

Lessons: Shut up and get a good attorney.
 
You don't need any kind of a ruse to invoke your fifth amendment rights. Just say you are willing to talk after your attorney arrives.

Jeff
 
Don't "claim" anything that is not true. If you don't wan't to talk to the cops, don't talk to the cops. Don't be "cute" by making false statements that could bite you in the ass later.
 
Cops are perfectly free to lie to you without fear of any consequences.

If YOU lie to police, it's a crime. Even an honest mistake can be twisted into a deliberate lie, and hence, a crime.

I won't play the game when the rules are stacked against me like that.

Say nothing, write nothing, until you've spoken to an attorney. If you want relief from coercive questioning, tell the officer you're having chest pains - DON'T say heart attack! - and ask for transport to a hospital. (Note that being checked out isn't a bad idea in any case - the adrenaline dump can mess up your physiology, and chest pains can mean anything from a heart attack to indigestion.) This also removes you from the scene of the crime - which is probably a good thing in any case. (Do YOU want pictures of yourself in the back of a squad car all over the evening news and on the front page of the morning paper?)

If he arrests you and reads you your rights, when he asks whether or not you understand them, say "No, I don't understand my rights, I need my own attorney to explain them to me."
 
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