Occupational homicide of law enforcement officers in the US, 1996–2010

Swedler, David I.; Kercher, Cassandra; Simmons, Molly M.; Pollack, Keshia M.

doi:10.1136/injuryprev-2013-040799

Cited by 18 publications

(30 citation statements)

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“…Previous research found about 10% of LEO homicides were committed with the LEOs own service weapon after the LEO was disarmed (Swedler et al 2014). The findings of this study further illustrate this risk as they show that when a LEO is disarmed there is a more than 2-fold increase in the odds of an assault resulting in a fatality.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Prior research shows that when fatal LEO assaults occur, initiating traffic stops, investigating crimes, and interacting with potentially dangerous suspects are among the most common encounters scenarios (Hessl 2003; Tiesman et al 2010). These incidents are more common during arrest situations and disturbance calls (Brandl 1996; Kercher et al 2013; Swedler et al 2014). LEOs often interact with suspects during or shortly after the commission of a crime and these suspects may attempt to evade capture by assaulting a LEO.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Firearms consistently account for between 75 and 95% of the weapons used in LEO homicides (Tiesman et al 2010; Brandl 1996; Kraus 1987; Margarita 1980; Kyriacou et al 2006; Swedler et al 2014; LaTourrette 2010). States with higher rates of gun ownership also see higher rates of LEO homicide (Swedler et al 2015).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assaults against U.S. law enforcement officers in the line-of-duty: situational context and predictors of lethality

2016

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BackgroundResearch on occupational safety of law enforcement officers (LEOs) has primarily focused on fatal assaults. Nonfatal assaults, however, have received little attention. The goal of this study was to describe the situational contexts in which LEOs are assaulted, and compare these contexts and risks between fatal and nonfatal assaults in the U.S. Analyzing both types of assaults provides a more complete understanding of occupational safety and opportunities for intervention.MethodsThis study includes a descriptive epidemiology of fatal and nonfatal assaults of LEOs in the U.S. and a pooled cross-sectional analysis of risk factors contributing to the odds of lethal assault. Data were collected from the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted database. Descriptive statistics were used to characterize fatal and nonfatal assaults. Odds ratios were generated to understand the odds that an assault would result in a fatality.ResultsBetween 1998 and 2013, there were 791 fatal assaults and 2,022 nonfatal assaults of LEOs. Nearly 60% of primary wounds in fatal assaults were received to the head, neck, or throat while nearly 50% of primary wounds in nonfatal assaults were received to the arms/hands or below the waist. The odds that an assault resulted in a fatality decreased by 57% (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.58) when a LEO was wearing body armor. LEOs experiencing an ambush or unprovoked attack had significantly increased odds of an assault resulting in a fatality (OR 3.27, 95% CI 1.83 to 5.85 and OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.44 to 3.47 respectively). LEOs that were disarmed during an encounter with a suspect had more than 2-fold increased odds of an assault resulting in a fatality (OR 2.24, 95% CI 1.48 to 3.38).ConclusionsThere are specific situational and encounter characteristics that influence the lethality of an assault, which suggest strategies for prevention. Mandatory wear policies for the use of body armor could significantly reduce mortality among assaulted LEOs.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40621-016-0094-3) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Assaults against U.S. law enforcement officers in the line-of-duty: situational context and predictors of lethality

2016

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“… 1 State and local law enforcement agencies employed about 1,133,000 people on a full-time basis. 1 Law enforcement is a high-stress occupation 2 – 5 that involves exposure to potentially dangerous and violent situations such as conducting criminal investigations, 6 responding to crimes in progress, 7 conducting patrols, 6 , 8 apprehending criminals, managing escalating hostile encounters such as disturbance calls 7 including domestic disturbance calls, 10 working late at night or during early morning hours, 11 pursuing fleeing or speeding motorists, 9 and conducting traffic stops. 7…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Occupational Homicides of Law Enforcement Officers, 2003–2013

Blair

Fowler

Betz

et al. 2016

American Journal of Preventive Medicine

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Introduction Law enforcement officers (LEOs) in the U.S. are at an increased risk for homicide. The purpose of this study is to describe the characteristics of homicides of LEOs in 17 U.S. states participating in the National Violent Death Reporting System. This active surveillance system uses data from death certificates, coroner/medical examiner reports, and law enforcement reports. Methods This study used quantitative and qualitative methods to analyze National Violent Death Reporting System data for 2003–2013. Deaths of LEOs feloniously killed in the line of duty were selected for analysis. LEO homicides and the circumstances preceding or occurring during the incident were characterized. Analyses were conducted October 2015–June 2016. Results A total of 128 officer homicides from 121 incidents were identified. Most (93.7%) LEO victims were male, 60.9% were aged 30–49 years (average age, 40.9 years). Approximately 21.9% of LEOs were killed during an ambush, and 19.5% were killed during traffic stops or pursuits. Of the 14.1% of LEOs killed responding to domestic disturbances, most disturbances were intimate partner violence related. More than half (57.0%) of homicides were precipitated by another crime, and of these, 71.2% involved crimes in progress. Most suspects were male. Ninety-one percent of homicides of LEOs were committed with a firearm. Conclusions This information is critical to help describe encounter situations faced by LEOs. The results of this study can be used to help educate and train LEOs on hazards, inform prevention efforts designed to promote LEO safety, and prevent homicide among this population.

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“…It is only more recent scholarship that has devoted significant attention to violence against the police. Additionally, a majority of scholars have focused on specific types of assaults against officers, such as only those that led to officer deaths in the line of duty (e.g., Blair, Fowler, Betz, & Baumgardner, 2016;Gibbs, Ruiz, & Klapper-Lehman, 2014;Kachurik, Ruiz, & Staub, 2013;Kaminski, 2008;Kaminski & Stucky, 2009;Kent, 2010;Maguire, Nix, & Campbell, 2017;Swedler, Kercher, Simmons, & Pollack, 2014). This narrow view neglects the fact that officer assaults leading to injuries are more common than those resulting in death (Covington, Huff-Corzine, & Corzine, 2014), and thus the former deserve equal, if not more, attention in the literature.…”

Section: Literature Review On Organizational Studies Of Police Departmentioning

confidence: 99%

Understanding the Organizational Factors that Impact Police-Community Relations

Headley¹

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vii perspective. In five short years, we have created memories that I will cherish for a lifetime. Outside of academe, there are many people that I am particularly appreciative for. To my Apostle and church, you have prayed for me, encouraged me and nurtured me throughout my entire undergraduate and graduate experience. Thank you for instilling in me hope and faith in Jesus Christ, both of which were essential for me throughout this process. To the friends that have become family, the ones that have known me for over ten years, thank you for being a continual presence in my life. Thank you for standing with me as I pursued my doctoral degree. Lastly, to my mother and father, the love, guidance, patience, encouragement, and experiences that you have provided to and for me have truly made me a better person, scholar, and educator. Words fall short in expressing my sentiments of gratitude. To my sister, you continue to show me what a heart of kindness and generosity looks like. Thank you for always believing in me and inspiring me to do this work. To my grandmother, you have embodied what it means to persevere. Thank you for so generously passing that along to me. viii

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Occupational homicide of law enforcement officers in the US, 1996–2010

Abstract: These results should inform officer training and the policies, as well as procedures used when interacting with suspects, especially when firearms are involved.

Cited by 18 publications

References 18 publications

Assaults against U.S. law enforcement officers in the line-of-duty: situational context and predictors of lethality

Assaults against U.S. law enforcement officers in the line-of-duty: situational context and predictors of lethality

Occupational Homicides of Law Enforcement Officers, 2003–2013

Understanding the Organizational Factors that Impact Police-Community Relations

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