109.541 Powers and duties of bureau.
109.541 Powers and duties of bureau.
(A) As used in this section:
(1) “Investigator” means an officer or employee of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation described in section 109.54 of the Revised Code.
(2) “Peace officer” has the same meaning as in section 2935.01 of the Revised Code.
(B) An investigator, while providing assistance to a law enforcement officer pursuant to division (B) of section 109.54 of the Revised Code, has the same arrest authority as a peace officer of the law enforcement agency served by the law enforcement officer requesting the assistance. The investigator may exercise this arrest authority only in connection with the investigation or activities for which the investigator’s assistance was requested.
(C)(1) No state official shall command, order, or direct an investigator to perform any duty or service that is not authorized by law. The power and duties conferred by this section on the bureau of criminal identification and investigation are supplementary to, and in no way a limitation on, the power and duties of sheriffs or other peace officers of the state or a political subdivision of the state.
(2) An investigator, pursuant to the policy established by the superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation under division (D)(1) of this section, may render emergency assistance to any peace officer who has arrest authority under section 2935.03 of the Revised Code if both of the following apply:
(a) There is a threat of imminent physical harm to the peace officer, a threat of physical harm to another person, or any serious emergency situation.
(b) The peace officer requests emergency assistance, or it appears to the investigator that the peace officer is unable to request emergency assistance and that the circumstances reasonably indicate that emergency assistance is appropriate.
(D)(1) The superintendent of the bureau of criminal identification and investigation, not later than sixty days after the effective date of this section, shall establish a policy specifying the manner and procedures by which an investigator may render emergency assistance to a peace officer pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section.
(2) An investigator who renders assistance to a law enforcement officer pursuant to division (B) of section 109.54 of the Revised Code or renders emergency assistance to any peace officer pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section and under the policy established under division (D)(1) of this section shall be considered to be engaged in the investigator’s regular employment for the purpose of compensation, retirement benefits, indemnification rights, workers’ compensation, and any other rights or benefits to which the investigator may be entitled incident to the investigator’s regular employment.
(3) An investigator who renders emergency assistance to a peace officer pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section and under the policy established under division (D)(1) of this section has the same authority as the peace officer to whom the assistance is rendered.
(4) An investigator who renders emergency assistance to a peace officer pursuant to division (C)(2) of this section and under the policy established under division (D)(1) of this section retains personal immunity from liability as described in sections 9.85 to 9.87 of the Revised Code, the right to defense under sections 109.36 to 109.366 of the Revised Code, and the right to indemnification under section 9.87 of the Revised Code. This section does not affect the provisions of section 2743.02 of the Revised Code that pertain to the commencement of a civil action against a state officer or employee.
Effective Date: 10-16-1996