Suicide by Cop Among Officer‐Involved Shooting Cases

Abstract

The frequency and characteristics of suicide by cop cases (SBC) among a large (n = 707) nonrandom sample of North American officer-involved shootings (OIS) were investigated. "Suicide by cop" is when a subject engages in behavior which poses an apparent risk of serious injury or death, with the intent to precipitate the use of deadly force by law enforcement against the subject. Thirty-six percent of the OIS in this sample were found to be SBC with high interrater agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93) for category classification. SBC cases were more likely to result in the death or injury of the subjects than regular OIS cases. Most SBC cases were spontaneous, but had clear verbal and behavioral indicators that occurred prior to, and during the event. Findings confirm the trend detected in earlier research that there was a growing incidence of SBC among OIS. SBC individuals had a high likelihood of possessing a weapon (80%), which was a firearm 60% of the time. Half of those with a firearm discharged it at the police during the encounter. Nineteen percent simulated weapon possession to accomplish their suicidal intent. Other findings highlight the histories and commonalities in this high risk group.

Suicide by Cop: Clinical Risks and Subtypes

“…In addition, the majority (65-87%) of individuals who committed SbC verbally communicated suicidal intent prior to or during the incident (Hutson, Anglin, Yarbrough et al, 1998;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Wilson, Davis, Bloom et al, 1998). According to Mohandie et al (2009), of the 256 individuals who committed SbC in the study of officer involved shootings, 55% gave verbal indication of suicide and 38% specifically referenced the method of SbC. Suicide notes were left in 14% of the cases and four notes specifically addressed the method of SbC.…”

“…A prior suicide attempt is one of the best predictors of eventual suicide completion in adults and adolescents (Innamorati, Pompili, Masotti et al, 2008; for review see Spirito & EspositoSmythers, 2006). Across studies of SbC cases, 16-47% of the individuals had at least one previous suicide attempt (Homant, Kennedy, & Hupp, 2000;Lord, 2000;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Wilson, Davis, Bloom et al, 1998) and a small but noteworthy percent (4%) had previously attempted SbC (Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009). In addition, the majority (65-87%) of individuals who committed SbC verbally communicated suicidal intent prior to or during the incident (Hutson, Anglin, Yarbrough et al, 1998;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Wilson, Davis, Bloom et al, 1998).…”

“…Across studies of SbC cases, 16-47% of the individuals had at least one previous suicide attempt (Homant, Kennedy, & Hupp, 2000;Lord, 2000;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Wilson, Davis, Bloom et al, 1998) and a small but noteworthy percent (4%) had previously attempted SbC (Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009). In addition, the majority (65-87%) of individuals who committed SbC verbally communicated suicidal intent prior to or during the incident (Hutson, Anglin, Yarbrough et al, 1998;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Wilson, Davis, Bloom et al, 1998). According to Mohandie et al (2009), of the 256 individuals who committed SbC in the study of officer involved shootings, 55% gave verbal indication of suicide and 38% specifically referenced the method of SbC.…”

“…Keywords crime and suicide, suicide, suicide by cop, suicide subtypes In a recent study of more than 700 officer-involved shootings, 291 cases (41%) evidenced suicidality, of which 256 were killed or injured by the police and 35 completed or attempted suicide on their own during their interaction with the police (Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009). Despite Mohandie et al's findings regarding the prevalence of suicidality among cases of officer-involved shootings, little is known about the overall prevalence of such suicides.…”

On the Death of Sandra Bland: A Case of Anger and Indifference

“…It is believed that many of these persons were suicidal. That is why such shootings are called, "suicide by cop" (Klein, 2006;Lord, 2004;Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, 2009;Perez-Pena, 2016).…”