NCJ Number
43220
Journal
Journal of Applied Social Psychology Volume: 7 Issue: 1 Dated: (1977) Pages: 27-37
Date Published
1977
Length
11 pages
Annotation
AN EXAMINATION OF INCIDENTS INVOLVING FIRING OF SHOTS BY POLICE OFFICERS FOUND DEGREE OF HAZARD OF SITUATION MOST CLOSELY RELATED TO NUMBER OF SHOTS WHILE RACE OF VICTIM HAD LITTLE CORRELATION.
Abstract
A METROPOLITAN POLICE DEPARTMENT WHICH REQUIRES A REPORT EVERY TIME A POLICE OFFICER'S WEAPON IS DISCHARGED WAS USED FOR THIS STUDY. EXAMINATION OF RECORDS FROM 1970 TO 1972 FOUND THAT 166 SHOTS WERE FIRED AT BLACK SUSPECTS, 96 AT WHITE SUSPECTS. WHEN THESE FIGURES ARE COMPARED BY POPULATION OF BEAT IN WHICH THE SHOOTINGS TOOK PLACE, IT WAS FOUND THAT BLACKS ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY INVOLVED IN SHOOTING INCIDENTS WITH POLICE BUT THAT WHITE SUSPECTS ARE HIT MORE OFTEN. ALSO, MORE SHOTS ARE ACTUALLY FIRED AT WHITE SUSPECTS. THE CITY SURVEYED IS 75 PERCENT WHITE, 25 PERCENT BLACK; BLACK SHOOTING INCIDENTS WERE 64.4 PERCENT COMPARED TO 35.6 PERCENT WHITE. HOWEVER, BASED ON NUMBER OF ARRESTS AND CONTACTS WITH POLICE, THE RATIO OF SHOTS FIRED AT BLACK SUSPECTS WAS LOWER THAN AT WHITE SUSPECTS. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT PREDICTOR WAS HAZARD OF SITUATION. OFFICERS FIRED ABOUT 2.0 SHOTS AT UNARMED SUSPECTS, 2.4 AT ARMED, AND 3.3 AT SUSPECTS WHO WERE ARMED AND FIRING AT OFFICERS. AVERAGE NUMBER OF SHOTS AIMED AT WHITE SUSPECTS WAS 2.9; AT BLACK, 2.0. WHITES SUSTAINED 1.8 HITS; BLACK 1.3. SINCE GREATER CITIZEN CONTACT WAS CORRELATED WITH HIGHER SHOOTING INCIDENCE, THIS STUDY MAY HAVE IMPLICATIONS FOR POLICING STRATEGIES. LARGER POLICE FORCES RELATIVE TO CITIZEN POPULATIONS MAY PROVIDE GREATER OPPORTUNITY FOR VIOLENT CONFRONTATIONS BETWEEN POLICE AND THE PUBLIC.