If such an unlikely situation were to occur, the officer in question can break the law and request a Presidential Pardon, which by definition has to be public, and done after the fact. Pardons are also subject to review by the Supreme Court, and accepting a pardon means you're admitting guilt. All of that means that the officer in question had better be sure they're 100% right and that the subject's story is credible.

(That said, I'm not aware of any 'ticking bomb' situation that has ever occurred like that outside of a Hollywood set. Anyone know an example?)

Quite different from sanctioning the practice. And if you did it more than about once a decade, people would have serious questions about just how Jack Bauer the situation really was, and there would likely be serious political fallout.

valguarnera@carrionfields.com