My name is Eric Clowser, I am a Deputy with the Carson City Sheriff's Department in Nevada. I am currently a Field Training Officer and just went to your class in mid-december with my trainee who only had a week of road experience prior to your class. We recently had an opportunity arise and decided to give your methods a test to see how they would do. Let me give you a run down of what happened.
We recently had a vehicle pursuit on 01/02/10 with a un-licensed Honda Civic which led us all over town and resulted in large amounts of property damage due to the vehicle ramming one of our patrol units and destroying several gates to business's. The vehicle ended up fleeing into Tribal Land and the occupants ditched the vehicle. We recovered the vehicle which turned out to be stolen (shocker) but the occupants fled the scene and were never found. We had nothing on who was in the vehicle and never could turn up with anything.
Later that week my trainee and I respond to a suspicious vehicle call with a known dirt bag ex-felon. We received a tip from the suspect's Mother of all people that he admitted to her that he was involved in the pursuit from earlier in the month. We end up getting the subject for a violation of Probation and read him his Miranda Rights once in the jail at which time he complies and wishes to speak with us.
So we have this ex-felon who has been to prison sitting in a room and I send my 4 week road experience trainee in the room with nothing but the sheets you gave us in from the class in his hand and a blank cd with his name and evidence written on it along with that slin piece of evidence tape on the back.
To make matters short after an hour and thirty minutes with this guy using nothing but what you taught us in the class my 4 week trainee gets this guy to roll and admit to the whole pursuit and stealing the vehicle. We would have more than likely never have gotten this if it wasn't for your training. I thank you for your time and how well you taught the class. I was a skeptic at first and I know you will have more like me but seeing my 4 week, twenty two year old trainee make a ex-felon not only cry but roll to the whole thing I am a full believer of your methods and have been recommending your class like wildfire to my agency.
The scary part was the suspect went through all the steps including denial to a tee. Was kind of freaky seeing it in real life. Once again thank you and know that your methods helped my trainee and myself out and we will probably be sending this guy back to prison.
-Eric Clowser
Skip,
I just wanted to say thanks again to you and Carl for your interview and interrogation training. I attended your class in Reno, Nevada several years ago. After taking your class, my interview/interrogation skills have greatly improved. Before your class I was only interviewing suspects and you gave me the tools to take it from an interview to interrogation, and most important how to get admissions!
Last week I had a suppression motion hearing on an interview I conducted where the suspect made several admissions regarding his involvement in a grand theft. At the suppression hearing the defense put the suspect on the stand, and he stated that I threatened to take him to jail if he didn't confess to the crime. When the DA put me on the stand I stated not only did I not threaten the suspect, but I have attended specialized training in interviewing and interrogating suspects, and I know you can't threaten or promise things to persons being interviewed. I then stated that the interview was video recorded and that we could just watch the recording to clear things up (Although I clearly stated in my crime report that I recorded the interview and booked the recording into evidence, neither the DA or defense attorney bothered to watch the video before the suppression motion, go figure). The judge liked that idea and wanted to watch the recording of the interview. The motion was continued so the DA could get a copy of the interview.
Today I received an e-mail from our DA after the continued suppression motion. The e-mail says it all, "Very good interview of suspect. Motion to suppress statement DENIED."
Thanks again,
Detective Mike Fisher Sierra County Sheriff's Office
