The Interrogation ‘Fine Line’

R. v. Wheeler (2010 )[1]

By Gino Arcaro M.Ed., B.Sc

i.                    The fine line

Interrogation is the most challenging investigative skill because there is no clear line separating admissible statements from inadmissible. It’s the equivalent of a playing field with no clear sidelines. Blurred boundaries. How can you play the game when you don’t know if you’re in-bounds or out-of-bounds.

Here is a quote from R. v. Wheeler(2010) that emphasizes this point:

“Police officers, in order to further advance investigations, often walk a fine line in attempting to elicit as much incriminating information as possible before an individual chooses to invoke his or her right to silence or contact legal counsel, without breaching the individual’s Charter rights or without crossing the voluntariness line.”

ii.                  the uniqueness of interrogation

Interrogations are the most unique type of human communication because: (a) conflicting interests. One person benefits from obtaining a confession while the other person suffers consequences by confessing (b) emotions. Interrogations surround the issue of crime – often major crime. The types of crime involving horrific suffering. Victims need to protected – past and future. This stressful environment builds natural emotion. The people in the room are all human. Both the police and the suspects are susceptible to the pressure built by the conflicting interests – solving crime versus trying to avoid the consequence of committing crime.

iii.                “Aggressive” interrogation

Passion makes a major impact on communication. Interrogation is a type of communication that evokes passion. Raised voices, bad words.

The phrase “aggressive questioning” may be the most abstract word associated with interrogation. Not just multiple interpretations, countless. 

What constitutes “aggressive” questioning? Bad manners, rudeness, unfriendliness? Making a suspect feel uncomfortable? What’s the volume level that separates passive from aggressive questioning?

iv.                 The concept of “suspect”

There is a finer line between two fundamental beliefs that govern the authority to arrest – reasonable grounds and mere suspicion. In some cases, there is only one clear suspect based on circumstantial evidence, creating an investigative bind:

a)       if the line been crossed from mere suspicion to reasonable grounds, an arrest is authorized and the suspect must be informed of the right to counsel

b)       if the line has not been crossed, mere suspicion does not authorize an arrest and an interrogation can be conducted by consent only.

c)       if only mere suspicion exists, the police simply cannot wait until reasonable grounds materialize. A suspect poses a potential threat to public safety but the suspect’s privacy must be respected. The public safety/privacy paradox – another investigative bind. Interrogate now or delay it. Catch-22. Damned if you doo, damned if you don’t. Negligence now or negligence later

v.                   R. v. Wheeler(2010)

This case law decision addresses these issues. The full article is found at:

By: Gino Arcaro, M.Ed, B.Sc. Level # NCCP – Head Coach, Niagara X-Men football team.

Part 3 – finding #1

The solution part of the findings is extensive. Each one will be explained individually. The article focuses only on the first finding.

To emphasize a previous point – the majority of athletes studied were entry-level athletes, not accomplished higher level or elite athletes:

Finding #1: mind-set & set-calling determine 225 lb bench press performance.

This is the primary conclusion. The difference between ordinary or mediocre 225 bench press testing and extraordinary testing is the connection between extreme mental strength and “in-progress” decision-making.

225 testing measures fatigue management, referring to the ability to prolong power and strength during a workout by building a tolerance to the physical discomfort of lactic acid buildup and a tolerance to mental fatigue brought on by our instinct to flee from the demands of hard work instead of fighting through it.

Testing ‘rep volume’ at a fixed weight tests the body and mind’s capacity for sustained power – the connection between stamina and strength. To consistently add reps to bench press testing, fearlessness has to be developed by converting the fears of the bar and of discomfort to an intense need – a basic survival need. That’s the secret to building a mindset to bench press 225 for mega reps. Change the way discomfort is perceived. Turn pain into pleasure. Changing the focus changes the outcome. The problem is that fearlessness has to be developed – it doesn’t just happen. 

Set-calling refers to “in-progress” decision-making – making the call about sets, reps, and weight on the bar during the workout. Scripted workouts are limiting. A rigid workout has only one benefit – it provides a general plan. But, following the plan without making strategic adjustments during the workout limits progress. It does not maximize growth.

The amount of weight, the number of sets and reps need the right call during the workout, not before the workout. That’s the key. Set-calling can stretch limits, by breaking the mental barrier that blocks reps and eventually hides them, buried by the intense pressure caused by mental fatigue – mental weakness conceals potential.

Set-calling needs expert coordination – a coordinator who knows how to make the right call. The right calls are needed to change the reaction from flight to fight. The ability to fight for more reps doesn’t just happen – nothing just happens.

Mind and body are connected. The body doesn’t quit first. The mind does. We have an instinct to avoid pain – emotional, physical, intellectual. Our first instinct is to run – flee. The mind’s negative influence is heavier than the weight. With every rep, the volume increases: “PUT DOWN THE BAR.”  

Dramatic improvements happen when the mind becomes tougher than the body and expertly coordinated decisions are made during a workout. Not equal strength, tougher. The mind has to be stronger than the body but mental strength is not built in isolation – it’s connected to physical strength built through expert set-calling – making the right call repeatedly during the workout, not before it. 

To re-cap, mind-set & set-calling is only the #1 finding that leads to a solution. The remaining findings will be explained as this series continues.

By: Gino Arcaro, M.Ed, B.Sc. Level # NCCP – Head Coach, Niagara X-Men football team.

The universal test that measures upper-body strength for football players is the number of bench press reps at 225 lbs. The challenge is pushing a significant weight multiple times directly against gravity, a skill that almost never happens in actual football. Rarely does a football player lay flat on his back and push a weight directly upward, through gravity

225 lbs bench press is part of the litmus test for advancement to the next level, part of an on-field, off-field performance evaluation that measure what was done and what may be done- accomplishment plus potential. The central attraction of ‘Combines’ is the 225 lb testing, where strongman contest meets the carnival.

225 is used regardless of body weight. A 200 lb running back and a 300 lb lineman both have to bench press the same weight. What does it prove? Some relevance and some irrelevance. The 225 lb bench press creates one of countless ‘presumptions’ that coaches and scouts hope will convert into absolute truths.

To some degree, there is a relationship between pressing one’s own bodyweight, single-rep max, and 225 reps. The key to 225 bench press testing is volume + intensity, on testing day and the weeks and months leading up to it. How to increase 225 lb bench press reps has been a central focus of a 40-year study X Fitness 1 & 2. This research has not reached an absolute formula but a number of practical findings have been found. These findings will be shared in Part 2.