Failure to Self-Identify

The intentional refusal, omission, or concealment by a law-enforcement officer or government agent of their name, badge number, agency affiliation, official capacity, or material involvement in an investigation or enforcement action. The conduct constitutes a Brady concern when it obstructs accountability, prevents identification of a material witness or evidence handler, conceals an officer’s role in disputed conduct, or impairs discovery of credibility, disciplinary, bias, or impeachment evidence.

Example: A plainclothes officer participates in a detention, uses force, or collects evidence but refuses to provide identifying information and is omitted from the incident report. The omission prevents the defense from determining the officer’s role, examining prior credibility findings, challenging the officer’s conduct, or investigating the authenticity and chain of custody of the evidence.