NCJ Number
100734
Date Published
1986
Length
4 pages
Annotation
This study guide, which accompanies the ''Crime File' videotape on deadly force, examines the extent of shootings by and of police, who gets shot, why, officers on active duty and the number of police confrontations with criminals.
Abstract
An important factor in weighing the police use of firearms is the danger of police work. A total of 1,018 American officers were killed from 1972 through 1980. A high percentage of the officers, however, were accidentally killed by fellow officers. It is indisputable that there will be occasions when police must use deadly force to protect themselves and others from dangerous persons. The use of deadly force occurs most often at night in public locations in high-crime urban areas and is used on suspects in the crime-prone ages of 17-30. Officers most often justify their use of deadly force as necessary to protect themselves or others. Although a high percentage of persons shot by police are black, their involvement in these shootings is not disproportionate to their involvement in crime. Techniques to control the police use of deadly force include policy statement and enforcement, officer training, the use of protective equipment, and close officer supervision. 7 references.