Final answer:
Protective equipment and other physical evidence must be retained, marked, tagged, and identified as Evidence exhibits to ensure the integrity and maintain the chain of custody for legal and investigative uses.
Step-by-step explanation:
Protective equipment and other physical evidence are integral parts of an investigation and must be handled with extreme care. These items need to be retained, marked, tagged, and identified as C) Evidence exhibits. This ensures that the integrity of the evidence is maintained and can be used for analysis, presented in court, or for other investigative purposes. Evidence exhibits are used to establish facts and assist in the determination of the truth regarding the events under investigation. Marking and tagging them properly is crucial for maintaining a chain of custody, which is a record of all individuals who have had possession of the evidence. This process is necessary to prevent contamination or tampering and preserve the evidentiary value of the items collected at a crime scene or incident.