NCJ Number
132690
Date Published
1985
Length
153 pages
Annotation
The use of deadly force is a controversial and complex issue, and at the center are individual police officers who are expected to balance forces and concepts that often conflict in practice.
Abstract
While the authority to use deadly force is one of the most burdensome responsibilities placed on police officers, the obligation of police administrators to control the authority to use deadly force is equally important. The results of a study of homicides committed by police officers in 57 large U.S. cities indicate that the rate of justifiable homicide by the police is statistically correlated with overall violence in society as measured by the incidence of homicide, rape, robbery, and aggravated assault. National and international standards on the use of deadly force are available such as those of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the International Association of Chiefs of Police, the American Law Institute, the American Bar Association, the United Nations, and the American Civil Liberties Union. A discussion on the model use of deadly force policy focuses on the value of human life, the threat, juveniles, warning shots, risk to innocent bystanders, shooting at or from moving vehicles, safe firearms handling, departmental control of weapons, firearms training and certification, and soft body armor. The discussion also considers investigative processes, civil rights investigations, administrative leave, legal representation for police officers, and psychological services. Supplemental data on justifiable homicide, a homicide report, and a policy content analysis form are appended. Footnotes and tables