NCJ Number
182158
Journal
Journal of Forensic Sciences Volume: 45 Issue: 2 Dated: March 2000 Pages: 384-389
Date Published
March 2000
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper reviews the literature that pertains to the phenomenon of "suicide by cop," a term used for any incident in which a suicidal individual attempts to get police officers to kill him/her.
Abstract
The authors define the term, discuss the various motivations of individuals who engage in this type of behavior, present the risk factors and indicators for suicide and violence, and describe specific indicators for "suicide by cop." Research and the authors' own experience indicates that "suicide by cop" is a frequently considered alternative among suspects encountered by police officers. There are verbal and behavioral clues, recent history and circumstances, key life events, and type of police service calls that are indicative of "suicide by cop" situations; however, there are currently no correlational, comparative, or predictive studies available to assist in determining the degree and intent that "suicide by cop" may be a factor in any given situation. Similarly, these indicators are not meant to be the basis for a quantitative index of risk or a probability statement; rather, degree and intent must be defined by behavior and individual circumstances. Future research should examine the relative significance of these indicators and determine the weighting of factors that are comparably more relevant to identify suicide by cop situations. Law enforcement agencies should continue and expand their documentation related to this phenomenon. Prevention and intervention models are dependent on such data collection, so that additional approaches for safely resolving these situations may be developed, implemented, and assessed. Seven case studies of "suicide by cop" are examined. 8 tables and 28 references