LEO question about leave timelines, kinda complicated

Not asking about my local department, more like a general question for officers who’ve been through it or seen it:

If an officer is involved in a major incident (like an OIS), how unpredictable can the work/leave timeline get?

Like… could it EVER look like: • work normally for a bit after the incident • then suddenly go on leave weeks later • then come back months after that • and have a totally different shift?

I know every department is different, and this isn’t a complaint or anything, just trying to understand something that’s a little more complicated than the usual on-the-record explanations.

If anyone has experiences or insight into how the process actually plays out (not the official PR version), I’d really appreciate it. If it’s easier to explain privately I don’t mind, whatever works.