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Suicide by cop

H R Hutson1, D Anglin, J Yarbrough

  • 1Department of Emergency Medicine, Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA. rhhutson@bics.bwh.harvard.edu

Annals of Emergency Medicine
|December 2, 1998
PubMed
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Suicide by cop, where individuals provoke officers to shoot them, is a real form of suicide. This phenomenon, termed law enforcement-forced-assisted suicide, requires recognition by law enforcement and healthcare providers.

Area of Science:

  • Forensic Psychology
  • Criminology
  • Public Health

Background:

  • "Suicide by cop" describes individuals intentionally provoking law enforcement to use lethal force.
  • This behavior is a deliberate act by suicidal individuals to elicit a fatal response from officers.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the phenomenon of individuals attempting suicide by provoking law enforcement officers.
  • To analyze cases of "suicide by cop" to understand its characteristics.

Main Methods:

  • Review of officer-involved shooting files from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department (1987-1997).
  • Inclusion criteria focused on evidence of suicidal intent, desire to be shot, possession of a weapon, and intentional escalation.

Main Results:

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  • "Suicide by cop" constituted 11% of officer-involved shootings and 13% of justifiable homicides.
  • Perpetrators were predominantly male (98%), aged 18-54, often armed with firearms (48%) or replicas (17%).
  • Domestic violence was present in 39% of cases, with 54% of individuals sustaining fatal wounds.

Conclusions:

  • "Suicide by cop" is a distinct form of suicide, more accurately termed law enforcement-forced-assisted suicide.
  • Law enforcement agencies should develop strategies for early recognition and intervention.
  • Healthcare providers must be aware of this phenomenon in evaluations and treatment.