NCJ Number
193585
Date Published
2001
Length
10 pages
Annotation
This study examined the underlying causes of lethal threats against police personnel in North America that could be attributed to the intent of perpetrators to commit suicide by forcing police officers to kill them.
Abstract
The study analyzed over 500 separate, documented incidents in which police personnel in the United States and Canada have been confronted by a potentially lethal threat from an individual. Through the examination of official police investigations, coroner inquests, media reports, and interviews with police officers, the characteristics associated with victim-precipitated officer shootings appeared to be a significant factor in approximately 10 percent of the examined cases of fatal police shootings. Two cases are described as examples of such incidents. In several of the cases examined, the perpetrator of the lethal threat to officers or hostages had a documented history of mental disorder or suicidal tendencies. In addition, documentation in a number of the cases indicated that the victim had a high blood-alcohol reading at the time of his/her death. These circumstances are illustrated in the presentation of two cases. In some of the incidents examined, it remains unclear why the decedent confronted a police officer with a perceived lethal threat and why the perpetrator continued in his/her behavior, ignoring police commands for compliance. In such cases, the individual was overtly confrontational, acting in a reckless disregard for his/her self-preservation. Two such cases are described. Regardless of the subject's motivation or mindset, however, in the cases examined they posed a lethal threat to police officers. Given this circumstance, the actions by the subjects precipitated the final outcome. With seconds to decide how to respond to a potentially lethal confrontation, police officers had no other option but to resort to deadly force.