NCJ Number
215500
Journal
Journal of Police Crisis Negotiations Volume: 6 Issue: 1 Dated: 2006 Pages: 5-25
Date Published
2006
Length
21 pages
Annotation
This article analyzed the international research literature regarding the phenomenon known as “suicide by cop.”
Abstract
The main critique that emerged from the literature review was that the available data is inadequate for a proper empirical analysis of the phenomenon of suicide by cop. The majority of research is described as local and involving small sample sizes. Moreover, post hoc analyses of the phenomenon have identified the death of the victim as the key factor in the investigation, which leads to problems with the definition of suicide by cop. Taken as a whole, the research presented here suggests that key factors involved in the phenomenon of suicide by cop are: (1) the presence of a mental illness; (2) a history of substance abuse; and (3) contemporaneous intoxication. The main conclusions emerging from the research indicate that: (1) the phenomenon of suicide by cop is real and international in its scope; (2) it may be more frequent than previously thought; and (3) behavioral and psychological factors may be present in any given incident, possibly allowing for the prediction of attempts to seek death at the hands of police. The available data holds implications for police training and suggests the need for a reconsideration of the rules of engagement as well as a review of the criteria for post hoc analyses. The author argues for an assessment of the intention of the victim as the core component of the analysis of police involved deaths attributed to suicide. The author also calls for the term “suicide by cop” to be abandoned because of the negative connotations and emotional overtones the term evokes. Tables, notes, references