Why police officers can forget
March 13, 2012
Belfast Telegraph:
Extreme physical exertion in a threatening situation lasting just 60 seconds can “seriously damage” the memories of those involved, according to a new study of police officers.
Police officers, witnesses and victims of crime suffer loss of memory, recognition and awareness of their environment if they have to use bursts of physical energy in a combative encounter.
This can occur in situations such as an officer chasing a fleeing suspect, according to Lorraine Hope of the University of Portsmouth.
She said that her findings, published in Psychological Science, are a warning of the problems with witness statements to the courts.
Read the whole story: Belfast Telegraph
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