NCJ Number
223323
Journal
Police: The Law Enforcement Magazine Volume: 29 Issue: 5 Dated: May 2005 Pages: 60,62,63
Date Published
May 2005
Length
3 pages
Annotation
This article discusses human behavior and the tactics needed for an officer to survive a suicide-by-cop incident from a seasoned law enforcement officer’s perspective.
Abstract
Suicide-by-cop is a danger to the physical and mental well-being of every cop on the street. Officers need to know what to do when confronted by a suicidal subject. Most importantly, an officer should never assume that a suicide does not want to hurt the officer. That assumption can get an officer killed. The best psychological survival tool for an officer who is forced to kill a suicidal person is counseling. Classified in the 1980s and accepted as part of the American vocabulary, “suicide by cop” has been a prevalent topic of discussion in American law enforcement. An officer confronted with an individual who wants to die is one of the most difficult situations that an officer can face. Suicidal individuals can fall into three primary classes: terrorists on a suicide mission, criminals who will not be taken alive, and emotionally disturbed individuals. These individuals want to take their own lives and choose a police officer as their unwilling accomplice. After briefly presenting some case studies, this article examines common denominators involved in suicide-by-cop, possible symptoms of a suicide-by-cop, and officer psychological survival of suicide-by-cop.