Approximately 82% of offenders who kill law enforcement officers have a documented strangulation history. The person who strangles their partner is not the same threat level as the person who shoves them. Strangulation is a rehearsal for homicide, and investigators who treat it as a minor domestic call are leaving a loaded case on the table.

Strangulation Investigation is an 8-hour, Idaho POST-certified online course built specifically for law enforcement. The curriculum covers anatomy, asphyxia, victim statements, evidence collection when injuries are minimal or invisible, and the edge cases that derail prosecutions — BDSM consent claims, self-defense arguments, and accidental strangulation narratives. It also covers stalking dynamics and the practical work of keeping victims cooperative through prosecution.

What You'll Cover

• Introduction to strangulation and anatomy
• Pressure thresholds and the attempted murder framework
• Investigation kickoff and reading the 911 call
• Approach, victim statements, and finding evidence when there is not much to find
• Three-part investigative checklist built for field use
• Asphyxia and medical aspects of strangulation
• BDSM context: two-module deep dive on consent claims and investigative response
• Self-defense and accidental strangulation claims
• Stalking, victim cooperation, and keeping victims engaged through prosecution

A landmark San Diego study found 62% of strangulation survivors had no visible injuries (Strack & McClane, 2001). The course prepares you to build a prosecutable case anyway.

Built for the Cases That Fall Apart

Strangulation cases fail at prosecution for predictable reasons: missed evidence, victims who recant, and investigators blindsided by BDSM consent claims or self-defense arguments they were never trained to handle. This course addresses all of it directly.

The content is built around what investigators actually encounter in the field, not what happens in a clean training scenario. That includes the calls where the victim minimizes, the suspect has a story ready, and external injuries are nonexistent. The investigative checklist alone is worth the credit hours.

Course Format

8 hours. Self-paced online delivery through RTI's LMS. Idaho POST-certified for 8 credit hours. Available for in-person agency-hosted delivery nationwide. Certificate of completion provided upon passing the end-of-course assessment.

Who This Course Is For

Patrol officers on domestic violence calls. Detectives carrying strangulation cases. Training coordinators building a defensible response protocol for their agency. If strangulation is in your jurisdiction, and it is, this course belongs in your training record.

Most law enforcement training exists because someone needed to fill a POST requirement. You've sat through that training. You know exactly what it looks like.

RTI courses are built by working investigators who got tired of watching officers fail in the field because their training never matched reality. Every module is grounded in current forensic science, tested against real case outcomes, and built to hold up in court, not just in a classroom.

No rubber-stamp certificates. No recycled slide decks from a decade ago. No instructors whose only qualification is that they once attended the course they're now teaching.

If you do the work, you'll leave with skills you can use on your next shift.
That's the standard RTI trains to.

Is this course POST-certified?

Yes. This course is certified by the Idaho Peace Officer Standards and Training Council (Idaho POST) for 8 credit hours. RTI courses are also available for in-person delivery nationwide. Contact us to discuss POST or continuing education documentation requirements for your state.

Why does the BDSM module exist?

Because it comes up in cases, and investigators who are not prepared for it get tied in knots. The two-module section covers how to evaluate consent claims, what physical and contextual evidence matters, and how to keep the investigation on track when the suspect introduces that narrative.

What if there are no visible injuries?

That is the norm, not the exception. Research consistently shows the majority of strangulation survivors present with minimal or no visible external injury. The course covers evidence collection and documentation built around exactly that reality, including the three-part investigative checklist.

Why is strangulation history relevant to officer safety?

Research indicates approximately 82% of offenders who kill law enforcement officers have a prior strangulation history. The suspect on your domestic call is not a routine risk assessment. This course gives you the investigative framework to document that history and treat the call accordingly.

Can my whole department take this course?

Yes. Contact RTI about agency enrollment options for group access and training documentation support.

Is this course available for in-person delivery?

Yes. This course is available for agency-hosted, in-person delivery anywhere in the country. Visit the in-person training page or contact RTI to discuss scheduling.