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AGR-CORR63-04 · Lesson 5 · 5 clock hours · field

Team Cell Extraction, Use-of-Force Documentation, and Post-Incident Medical Check

Objective. Students will fill assigned roles in a five-officer cell-extraction team simulation and complete a use-of-force incident report that meets all required documentation elements within 20 minutes.

⚠ Pending professional review

This lesson, its worked examples and its practice questions has not yet been verified by a licensed professional in the field or by a certification or approval body. It is a study draft and may contain errors. Do not use it as instructions for work on a job site or on live equipment. Always follow your instructor, your supervising professional, and current official references and regulations.

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Team Cell Extraction: Purpose and Legal Foundation

A cell extraction is a coordinated use of force to remove a non-compliant incarcerated person from a housing cell when all voluntary-compliance efforts have failed. Because it involves physical force applied by the state, every step must be authorized, structured, and documented. Improper extractions expose officers and agencies to civil liability and criminal complaint. A five-officer team approach is the accepted industry standard because it divides the physical workload, reduces injury risk to both officers and the subject, and establishes clear accountability for each action taken.

The Five-Officer Team Roles

Each officer on the extraction team has one specific job. Mixing roles mid-entry creates confusion and injury.

Position 1 — Shield Officer. Enters first, carrying the body shield. The shield creates a physical barrier between the subject and the entry team. This officer wears a helmet with face shield and forearm guards in addition to standard duty gear. The shield officer does not attempt to grab or control limbs; the only job is to advance, pin, and protect.

Position 2 — Right-Arm Officer. Enters behind the shield officer and takes control of the subject's right arm, securing the wrist and elbow. This officer directs the arm to the small of the subject's back for cuffing.

Position 3 — Left-Arm Officer. Mirrors Position 2 on the opposite side. Both arm officers work together on a single verbal command to bring arms to cuffing position simultaneously.

Position 4 — Leg-Control Officer. Enters last among the control officers and wraps both legs above the knees, preventing kicking. This officer also guides the subject from upright to prone position once arm control is established.

Position 5 — Documentation Officer. Remains outside the cell during entry. This officer observes the entire event, notes exact times, and begins the use-of-force incident report immediately after the subject is secured and moved. The documentation officer does not enter unless there is a life-safety emergency.

Command and Communication

The team leader (typically the shield officer or a designated sergeant) issues all entry commands. Before the door opens, the team leader makes three verbal compliance demands directed at the subject. These demands are documented by the documentation officer, including the time of each. Once the decision to enter is made, the team leader calls the entry sequence — the team does not enter until the command is given. Inside the cell, communication is loud, clear, and brief: "Control right arm — control left arm — take legs — bring to prone — cuff." Each officer acknowledges verbally or by action. Silence or hesitation is a safety warning sign and the team leader may call a halt.

Safety Rules for Training and the Field

Post-Incident Medical Welfare Check

Immediately after the subject is secured and moved to a safe area, a designated officer — not one of the extraction team members if possible — performs a head-to-toe medical check using a printed protocol. The check covers: level of consciousness and verbal response, head and neck for visible injury, chest and breathing quality, abdomen, arms and hands (circulation at restraint points), legs and feet. Any injury, complaint of pain, or change in consciousness requires medical staff notification without delay. The medical check notation becomes part of the use-of-force report.

Use-of-Force Incident Report: Required Elements

A complete report protects the officer, the agency, and the subject's rights. The ten required elements in this program's model form are:

1. Date and exact time of the incident

2. Location (housing unit, cell number)

3. Full name and ID number of the subject

4. Subject behavior that justified force (specific observed acts)

5. Verbal commands given and subject's response

6. Type of force applied (team extraction, restraints used)

7. Names and badge numbers of all team members

8. Injuries sustained — subject and officers

9. Medical check result and time performed

10. Supervisor notified — name, time, and method of notification

Reports must be written in first-person, objective language. Avoid conclusions such as "subject was dangerous." Write observable facts: "Subject refused three verbal commands to exit the cell and braced both arms against the cell wall."

Connecting to Certification

The State Corrections Academy Certificate examination tests officer judgment in use-of-force scenarios and knowledge of documentation requirements. The ACA Certified Corrections Officer credential similarly evaluates professional standards including post-incident procedures. CPR/First Aid certification directly supports the medical welfare check step — if the subject loses consciousness or shows signs of distress, trained officers must act until medical staff arrive.

Key terms8

Cell extractionA coordinated, authorized use of force by a team of officers to remove a non-compliant incarcerated person from a cell after voluntary compliance has failed.
Shield officerThe first officer to enter during a cell extraction, who carries a body shield to create a physical barrier and protect the entry team.
Documentation officerThe fifth team member who remains outside the cell, observes the entire event, records times, and initiates the use-of-force incident report immediately after the subject is secured.
Passive resistanceA form of non-compliance in which the subject does not actively strike or attack but refuses to comply — for example, going limp or bracing against a wall.
Post-incident medical welfare checkA systematic head-to-toe assessment performed on a subject immediately after any use of force to identify injuries and document the subject's physical condition.
Use-of-force incident reportAn official written account completed by involved officers after any application of force, documenting the subject's behavior, actions taken, injuries, and notifications made.
Command and controlThe structured communication system in which a designated team leader issues all entry and control commands and officers respond in sequence, preventing confusion during an extraction.
Prone positionFace-down body position used after restraint is applied; officers must avoid placing weight on the subject's neck or spine to prevent positional injury.
In class: Team extraction briefing and role assignment: instructor explains the five standard team positions (shield officer, right-arm officer, left-arm officer, leg-control officer, and documentation officer), required protective equipment for each position, and command-and-control communication; students rotate through each role in a tabletop walk-through before physical practice. · Simulated cell-extraction exercise using a designated training room doorway and mat area: one student role-plays a non-compliant inmate (passive resistance only, per safety rules); the five-person team executes entry, control, restraint application, and removal to a prone position; the exercise is repeated until each student has held at least two positions. · Post-incident sequence: immediately after extraction, the documentation officer initiates a simulated use-of-force incident report (paper form using the facility model format) while a designated officer performs a head-to-toe medical welfare check on the role-play inmate using a printed medical-check protocol; both documents are submitted to the instructor for review.
Materials: Training shields (one per class), designated training room or doorway frame, padded mats, protective gear (helmets, forearm guards for shield officer), printed five-officer extraction role cards, model use-of-force incident report form, post-incident medical check protocol sheet, lab log booklets
Check: Two graded items: (1) role-performance checklist for each student's assigned positions — all command and positioning steps completed with no unsafe actions; (2) use-of-force incident report reviewed against a 10-element rubric (time, location, subject behavior, force applied, medical check notation, officer names, supervisor notification, etc.) — minimum 8 of 10 elements correctly completed; either item below standard requires revision or re-demonstration.

Practice check8

Answer each question, then check it. Nothing is recorded; this is your own practice.

Use-of-force documentation and post-incident procedures
1. During a five-officer cell extraction, which team member is responsible for initiating the use-of-force incident report?
Officer safety and use of force
2. Which personal protective equipment is specifically required for the shield officer that is NOT standard for all other team members?
Use-of-force documentation and post-incident procedures
3. An officer completes a use-of-force report and includes 7 of the 10 required elements. What should happen next according to this program's standard?
Use-of-force standards and legal requirements
4. Before a cell-extraction team enters, the team leader must first:
Post-incident medical procedures and officer duty of care
5. During the post-incident medical welfare check, the officer notices that the subject's hands are discolored at the restraint points. What is the correct immediate action?
Use-of-force documentation and professional writing
6. In a use-of-force report, which of the following is written in the correct objective format?
Safety procedures in training environments
7. A trainee playing the role of the non-compliant inmate in a simulation feels pain in their shoulder during the exercise. What should the trainee do immediately?
Officer safety, use of force, and duty of care
8. Which action by the leg-control officer helps prevent positional injury when taking a subject to the prone position?
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