NCJ Number
178318
Journal
Law and Order Volume: 47 Issue: 6 Dated: June 1999 Pages: 97-102
Date Published
June 1999
Length
5 pages
Annotation
This article discusses the phenomenon of suicide by cop and recommends actions for police executives and officers to minimize the danger.
Abstract
Suicide by cop (SBC) is defined as “an incident in which an individual bent on self-destruction engages in life-threatening and criminal behavior in order to force law enforcement officers to kill him/her.” It is not isolated to a few agencies or offices, and has surfaced throughout the United States and Canada. The article discusses theories why a person chooses the police as the executor; identifies the selection of police in an SBC incident; profiles the SBC offender; notes typical officer reaction to SBC situations; discusses some of the legal issues; and recommends police actions to minimize the danger. Procedures to help officers prepare for SBC incidents and cope with the aftereffects include: pre-stress education and training; Critical Incident Debriefings; and agency support networks for officers’ family members.