NCJ Number
178447
Journal
Journal of Police and Criminal Psychology Volume: 13 Issue: 2 Dated: Fall 1998 Pages: 25-35
Date Published
1998
Length
11 pages
Annotation
This case study examined incidents in which police officers survived an encounter that involved the officer's use of deadly force, so as to identify any tactical variables the officers used to their advantage in these cases.
Abstract
Shooting incidents that involved officers from a large sheriff's department in west central Florida were the subject of the study. Any criminal investigation or agency review of the cases considered had been completed. A total possible incident population of 107 shootings was obtained from the official records of the department between the years 1985 and 1995. Accidental shootings and shootings at animals were excluded, so the final sample consisted of 49 incidents in which the officer was threatened by a suspect and the officer survived the encounter. The data collection instrument was a 39-item questionnaire divided into five sections to yield information on 40 variables related to the use of deadly force. Descriptive analyses were conducted for the circumstances at the scene and the officers and suspects involved in the incidents. Two possible keys to officer survival were found to positively affect the outcome of the deadly force incident: the incident occurring outdoors, thus giving officers the opportunity to create space between themselves and suspects; and the officers' use of deadly force before the suspects were able to use deadly force. Recommendations are offered for future research. 5 tables and 28 references