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Legal Information: Indiana

Statutes: Indiana

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Updated: 
July 30, 2024

35-33-1-1.5 Law enforcement officer; scene of alleged crime involving domestic or family violence

Sec. 1.5. (a) A law enforcement officer responding to the scene of an alleged crime involving domestic or family violence shall use all reasonable means to prevent further violence, including the following:

(1) Transporting or obtaining transportation for the alleged victim and each child to a designated safe place to meet with a domestic violence counselor, local family member, or friend.

(2) Assisting the alleged victim in removing toiletries, medication, and necessary clothing.

(3) Giving the alleged victim immediate and written notice of the rights under IC 35-40.

(b) A law enforcement officer may confiscate and remove a firearm, ammunition, or a deadly weapon from the scene if the law enforcement officer has:

(1) probable cause to believe that a crime involving domestic or family violence has occurred;

(2) a reasonable belief that the firearm, ammunition, or deadly weapon:

(A) exposes the victim to an immediate risk of serious bodily injury; or

(B) was an instrumentality of the crime involving domestic or family violence; and

(3) observed the firearm, ammunition, or deadly weapon at the scene during the response.

(c) If a firearm, ammunition, or a deadly weapon is removed from the scene under subsection (b), the law enforcement officer shall provide for the safe storage of the firearm, ammunition, or deadly weapon during the pendency of a proceeding related to the alleged act of domestic or family violence.