Police Departments

Reporting Procedures

After the reporting police department conducts their initial investigation. The responding officer must contact Investigations at 248-858-5099 to report the death.

Reporting officers must be ready to answer questions asked by Investigators. Download the Investigation Form for examples of questions to ask.

Investigators will assess each case and determine if an Investigator will respond to the scene or if jurisdiction will be declined.

Autopsy

Detectives are encouraged to attend autopsies in the event the Medical Examiner has additional questions about a case.

Autopsies are typically scheduled for the day following the death and begin around 0800.

Autopsies are usually performed in the order of arrival to the OCMEO. Investigators will inform Detectives where their case falls on the docket.

Detectives will view the autopsy in a separate viewing area and will not be allowed in the autopsy suite. All autopsy photos are taken by OCME staff.

Evidence

If evidence is collected during the autopsy, the OIC will be notified. All evidence will be released to the OIC following autopsy.

Copies of Autopsy Reports

The Officer in Charge (OIC) for the case must send a written request for autopsy/toxicology reports to OCMEinvestigators@oakgov.com. Reports will not be sent out until a copy of the police report has been received. Reports typically take 12-16 weeks for completion, but in certain cases could take up to a year.

Child Death Review

The Michigan Child Death Review (CDR) program was implemented in 1995 to conduct in-depth reviews of child deaths and identify ways to prevent them. The Oakland County CDR team is comprised of the Medical Examiner’s Office, Prosecutor’s Office, Courts, Law Enforcement, Child Protective Services, Medical Professionals, Consumer Protective Products, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, Oakland Schools, and the Oakland County Health Department.

CDR meetings are confidential and are not subject to the Freedom of Information act. However, the State of Michigan publishes aggregated data and can be found on the Michigan Fatality Review and Prevention website.

The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s Office (OCMEO) participates in a monthly Child Death Review (CDR). Detectives investigating Child Deaths are expected to participate in the monthly meetings either in person or virtually.

Opioid Fatality Review

Oakland County established an Overdose Fatality Review Team (OFR) in December of 2023. Like the CDR team the OFR is a collaborative process that brings together professionals from various disciplines to discuss one to two cases per month.

The OFR team makes recommendations on prevention initiatives. The OFR is also a confidential meeting and is not subject to FOIA.

Documents

Final Autopsy reports (which include toxicology reports) are completed on average between 14-20 weeks from the date of autopsy. The Oakland County Medical Examiner’s office does not provide preliminary reports.

Law enforcement MUST provide a copy of the police report before receiving a copy of the autopsy report.

Autopsy reports DO NOT include any photographs of the scene or autopsy.

All Photo requests are denied except for exceptions listed in PA 322, 2003, H.B. 4249, Sec 2855a (1)(a).

Work product request for any information not generated by the medical examiner’s office will be denied per PA 153, 2004, SB # 724.

If you are an officer or prosecutor requesting scene or autopsy photographs you must call our office and speak with an investigator.

Court Appearances and Subpoenas

All subpoenas can be sent to our office via mail or emailed to ocmeclerical@oakgov.com and MUST include the case number and/or name of the decedent.

Subpoena’s requesting a Medical Examiner Staff Members appearance must be given to our office in a timely manner.

Our doctors have a busy schedule, if you need to set up a meeting with them contact our office and speak with the doctor directly.