NCJ Number
128056
Date Published
1991
Length
20 pages
Annotation
Police use of deadly force is examined with respect to six major issues including the fleeing-felon doctrine, the use of firearms by off-duty police officers, and the relationship between police officer characteristics and the use of deadly force.
Abstract
The United States Supreme Court's decision in Tennessee v. Garner abolished the fleeing-felon doctrine, although deadly force is permitted in certain circumstances. In addition, research indicates that restrictive firearms policies reduce the number of shootings without jeopardizing the safety of police officers. Moreover, the arming of off-duty police officers has both advantages and disadvantages and is likely to continue, particularly because of the officer's responsibility to enforce the law 24 hours per day. Furthermore, the available data do not make clear the number of killings by police, although the number has clearly declined substantially in recent years. Research has also indicated that younger, less-experienced police officers are more likely than others to become involved in shooting incidence. Females and officers from middle-class backgrounds appear to be less likely to use their weapons. Finally, controversy exists surrounding the disproportionate number of black shooting victims, and methodological problems hinder efforts to determine the cause. Notes, 37 reference, and 5 study questions