Suicide By Cops | EssayIvy.com

Running Head: SUICIDE BY COPS 1

Suicide by Cops

Student’s Name

Institutional Affiliation

SUICIDE BY COPS 2

Suicide by Cops

Introduction

The term “suicide by cop” is often used in any police-involved killings that could be

considered self-murder based on what the subjects portray a suicidal intent. Suicide by cops

typically occurs when an individual intentionally coerce a law enforcement officer to use deadly

force. The individual often acts in a menacing way that provokes a cop to use lethal force to

contain them. In the past decade suicide by police has increasingly become an alarming trend

that has the police departments, the government and the general public worried. Statistics

indicate an alarming increase in the frequency of suicide by cop events. According to the USA

Supreme Court, a law enforcement officer is allowed to use lethal force against a suspect if he or

she poses a direct deadly threat to either the officer or the public. As such, the standard of

determining whether the subject was suicidal or the officer employed excessive force is based on

“objective reasonableness.” Suicide by cop is a controversial topic that has attracted extensive

research on its validity, circumstances, influences and the reactions it draws from the public and

police departments. The paper analyzes suicide by cop regarding history, statistics, causes,

impacts, and criticism it attracts.

History of suicide by cop

The term suicide by cop was coined back in the early 1980s by a law enforcement officer,

Karl Harris, who reported that he knew of instances that individuals force police officers to shoot

them (Health Research Funding Organization , 2014). The officer who turned to suicide hotline

operator explained to the New York Times in 1998 that he has seen instances where suicidal

individuals force the law enforcement officer’s hands. By mid-1980s police assisted suicide

SUICIDE BY COPS 3

began to be documented in journals. In the 1990s the concept of suicide cops began to be

extensively documented including in novels such “The Outsiders” and appeared in films such as

“Falling Down.” (Azizi , 2011) While the term is considered to have originated in the USA, in

2003 an article in the UK’s “The Guardian” showcased that a jury ruled a particular incident

involving police-shooting as a suicide by cop. According to the article, the victim told the police

officers to get their guns and later a suicide note was found the ultimate evidence for suicide by

police incidents (Health Research Funding Organization , 2014). Currently, the term suicide by

cops is mostly used by law enforcement and media commentators.

Overview of Suicide by cop

Suicide by cops can be categorized into two groups. The initial instance is when the

suspect has committed a crime and is being pursued by a law enforcement officer and opts to die

rather than face an arrest. Such incidents are often a spur of a moment decision where a criminal

decides that death is better than facing the inevitable incarceration. These individuals are not

suicidal but turn suicidal in the face of imprisonment (Health Research Funding Organization ,

2014).

The other category of suicide by cop involves individuals that were contemplating to kill

themselves even before the confrontation with the police officer. Many individuals may refrain

from committing suicide themselves and often coerce another person to help them to avoid the

moral implications of self-murder. The actions of suicidal individuals are predominantly driven

with the intention of provoking the officer into shooting them. This category often occurs when

police officers are called to intervene in individual minor issues such a suicide attempt, domestic

dispute or dealing with an individual that resists the intervention due to other problems such as

mental illness or being under the influence of drugs. However, there are instances where an

SUICIDE BY COPS 4

individual plans a significant criminal activity that will attract the law enforcement intervention

where he or she will directly confront the officers inciting them to shoot (Health Research

Funding Organization , 2014). Individuals with the intention of coercing the police into using

lethal force against them often based their actions on standard police procedure that allows them

to assume authority whenever they arrive at a scene. The person exploits the USA Supreme

Court law that allows an officer to shot when threatened.

The determination of the validity of suicide by cop is based on objective reasonableness.

Suicide by cop considerations analyzes whether it was objectively reasonable under the reported

circumstances for the law enforcement officer to believe that the individual meant to harm him

or others (Azizi , 2011). According to the USA Supreme Court, a police officer is only allowed

to use excessive force only and only if the suspect is a lethal threat to the officer or a bystander.

As such, the determination of suicide by cop often requires evidence that the victim intended to

cause deadly harm to the police officer or the civilians.

In many cases, the officer may take action only to realize after the shooting that the

suspect was bluffing and did not intend to harm anyone. For instance, the defendant may have

threatened to shoot a civilian in efforts to facilitate a robbery or to provide a loophole for him or

her to escape the scene of the crime. However, the suspect intentions are highly subjective, and it

is unrealistic for an officer to consider that the individual is bluffing when his life or that of a

civilian hangs on the balance. In most cases, the intentions of the suspect do not factor in the

determination of whether the cop’s use of lethal force was legal (Azizi , 2011). Therefore, as

long as it was objectively reasonable for the law enforcement officer to settle that the precise

moment he shot the suspect was about to use deadly force, the actions of the officer are lawful.

Factors influencing suicide by cop

SUICIDE BY COPS 5

The legal analysis of suicide by police involves depicting the intentions of the subject

through study of their interactions with others, psychological autopsies, gathering information

from personal documents such as interviews and analyzing medical records of the individual. In

the case of Cedric Telasco, a 21-year old that was shot by four Florida officers, his medical

records indicated he had schizophrenia. Schizophrenia is a mental condition characterized by

poor social skills and inability to differentiate fantasy and reality. In the incident, the four

officers shot the young man 20 times at his door. According to reports, the Telasco called 911

reporting that a man with a knife was standing in his doorway. According to the records, he gave

the operator a description of himself and concluded the call by saying that the officers should

come and do whatever they have to do (Voorhees , 2014). Similarly, in another instance, police

officers shot 18-year-old Joseph Jennings. Investigations revealed that Jennings was suicidal and

had been treated for an overdose the previous week according to the aunt (Voorhees , 2014).

The evidence that supports suicide by cop range from sex abuse, suicidal attempts,

interrupted criminal activities, mental illness, addiction, intoxication at the time of the event or a

criminal history Extensive investigation is essential in all alleged suicide by cop to avoid cases of

police brutality not drawing legal actions. A study that analyzed factors that influence Suicide by

cop concluded that analyzing individual’s intent to commit suicide by cop it is necessary for

more than one point of data to be considered (Lord, 2012). According to the study when an

individual displays behavioral, verbal or and planned indications it is clear prove of his intention

to be killed by the officer.

Prevalence of suicide by cop

Studies began to investigate the frequency of police assisted suicides in the 1990s. The

Uniform Crime Reporting program showcases the decade between 1990 and 2000, more than 60

SUICIDE BY COPS 6

criminals who attacked a police officer committed suicide during the same episode (Azizi ,

2011). Programs dedicated to exploring the prevalence of suicide by cop consider occurrences in

which suspects pose a direct threat to the police officers or civilians. A study by the Los Angeles

police department indicates that 65 percent of individuals in suicide by police incidents convey

their suicidal thoughts to others, more than 40 percent showcase suicidal behavior while 20%

leave suicidal notes. According to the study, almost 60 percent ask the police officers to shoot

and 15 percent continue to point their guns at the officers despite being cautioned they will be

shot (Azizi , 2011).

Figures indicate that most suicide by cop victims carry weapons such as guns, but only

half the guns are loaded. Almost 20 % of these individuals possess fake weapons (Health

Research Funding Organization , 2014). Other striking statistics indicate that nearly all suicide

by cop victims are white males. Research in female subjects involved in police shooting

demonstrates that only 5% of the suicide by cop affects female victims. According to the study

majority of women engaged in police-related shootings have an intention of being killed

(Mohandie & Meloy, 2011). Most women in Suicide by cop incidents have a diagnosed mental

illness, are taking prescribed psychiatric medications and most likely abusing a substance at the

time of the incident.

Lawsuits

Individual remedy against a police officer for the use of excessive force is based on

&1983 suit. In the 1983 lawsuit, the plaintiff whether the suspect or his estate can claim the cop

used excessive force regarding unreasonable arrest or seizure that violated the Fourth

Amendment rights (Azizi , 2011). The determination of excess force is based on “objective

reasonableness”. In the case of the city of Leavenworth and three of its law enforcement officers

SUICIDE BY COPS 7

against the estate of Shawn Perryman, the defendant alleged a violation of 42 U.S.C 1983 and

the Common Law. The Kansas Court of Appeal found the officers justified in their employment

of deadly force since Perryman was within 8 feet of a cop while brandishing a metal object over

his head screaming he wants to die.

Criticism

Suicide by cop has often faced criticism from commentators who insist that term is

merely an excuse for sloppy police act. Other individuals suggest that police officers may usually

put themselves in harm’s ways which forces them to “shoot their way out.” Critics of the concept

point that police shooting involving an individual pointing an unloaded gun to a cop cannot be

categorized as suicide by cop. They point that such an instance merely portrays a prospective

murderer as a victim of police brutality (Voorhees , 2014). Opposers of the concept maintain that

in such an instance, the intention of the suspect is probative since the individual may be looking

for an escape hence it is misleading to term the incident as suicide by cop.

The recent upsurge in cases of police brutality has increased the criticism that suicide by

cop faces. For instance, two St. Louis police officers shot a 25-year-old black man who

supposedly came at wielding a knife screaming “ Shoot me! Shoot me! Shoot me now,

motherfucker!” Seconds into his rant, the victim, Kajieme Powell the police complied with his

demands. While Powell actions support the local authorities conclusion that it was a suicide by

cop, critics continue to describe the term as showcasing that the death of the subject is inevitable.

They maintain that in Powell’s case, it was not a situation of kill or be killed for the officers.

While the victim was armed with a knife, he was not carrying a firearm. Moreover, the officers

took less than 20 seconds to open fire since they left their car (Voorhees , 2014). Commentators

insist that the police officer had an option of using a non-lethal weapon such as a Taser since

SUICIDE BY COPS 8

Powell did not carry a firearm and was not within the distance of stabbing anyone. Critics insist

on the importance of distinguishing circumstances that fuel the impulsive decision by individuals

to commit suicide by cop. There should be a distinction between a person who is resisting arrest

and a suicidal person that is actively seeking the police to end his or her life. Commentators

opposing suicide cop maintain without this distinction suicide by cop is an excuse to cases of

police injustice.

Effects to the officer

Suicide by cop attracts attention since it leaves two victims the subject and the officer

that fired the shoot. While self-murder is typically disturbing, suicide by cop is much more

troubling since the officer is left second-guessing his actions and if whether he should have taken

different measures. A study that analyzed 700 officers involved shootings in America reported

that more than 35% are reported as suicides by cop. However in the total suicides by cop, only

30% were found to be preplanned based on the pre-seizure evidence such as a suicide note. The

remaining 70 percent were classified as impulsive decisions made by the suspect on

confrontation with a police officer (Voorhees , 2014). These statistics coupled with the negative

publicity that police-involved shootings often receive in the USA, illustrates that the police

officer in question may doubt their actions. In a profession as a law enforcing where decisions of

the officer directly affect the lives of people in the society, doubt is an enormously adverse

emotion. When an individual makes a police officer instrumental in their suicide many people

are involved in reviewing, judging and condemning. In many circumstances, the contempt and

the judgment are directed towards the officer. Whether legal action is taken or not, suicide by

cop weighs on the individual officer since his primary duty is to protect life. Shooting a citizen

even when legally justified devastates the officer.

SUICIDE BY COPS 9

Reduction of suicide by cop

Since suicide by cop often attracts litigation, it is essential for police departments across

the USA to train officers on how to better recognize when an individual is attempting suicide and

ohow to react on recognition of such signs. The training should be a priority in police

departments considering the increased frequency of suicide by cop incidents in the previous

decade and the subsequent lawsuits that such cases attract. Despite the legal implications of

suicide by cops, such incidents pose considerable sociological problem to the entire American

society. It is vital for police officers to employ nonlethal force in containing a suspect whenever

possible (Azizi , 2011). As mentioned, many suicide by cop shootings involves people with

certain traits from poverty, mental illness or drug addicts. It is necessary for law enforcement

departments to devote resources to educating the officers of the principal circumstances that

often result in suicide by cop incidents.

The police departments should realize the importance of good relations with the

residents. Suicide by cop incidents usually attracts controversial reviews which may threaten the

police-community interactions when the public deems the shootings as brutal, unjustified or even

prejudiced. In recent years, many police departments have dedicated resources to researching and

training their officers on how to efficiently address suicide by police incidents. For instance, the

Crisis Intervention Teams educates law enforcement officers on how to handle mentally ill

individuals exploiting police authority in efforts to coerce the officer to shoot (Voorhees , 2014).

Conclusion

Suicides by cop is a term that showcases instances that a suspect provokes a law

enforcement officer to use lethal force. The term has been used since the 1980s when officer-

SUICIDE BY COPS 10

turned suicide alert operator describes his experience watching people intentionally goading a

police officer to shoot. Statistics indicate the in the past decade cases of suicide by cops has been

on the rise in the USA. Moreover, incidents of police assisted suicide are common in white men.

Individuals involved in suicide by cops have similar characteristics such as mental illness,

intoxication during the event, addiction among others. It is essential for legal implications of

suicide by cops to be addressed to avoid cases where lack of police officers professionalism is

excused as suicide by cops. The article asserts that it is the responsibility of the police officers to

keep suicide by cop incidents at minimal by learning to recognize suicidal intents and using

lethal force only in situations that warrant it.

SUICIDE BY COPS 11

References

Azizi , R. (2011). When Individuals Seek Death at the Hands of the Police: The legal and Policy

Implications of Suicide by Cop and Why Police Officers Should Use Nonlethal Force in

Dealting with Suicidal Suspects. Golden Gate University Law Review, 183-212.

Health Research Funding Organization . (2014, August 20). 6 Surprising Suicide by cop statistics

. Retrieved from Health Research Funding Organization :

https://healthresearchfunding.org/suprising-suicide-by-cop-statistics

Lord , V. B. (2012). Factors Influencing Subject's Observed Level of Suicide by Cop Intent .

Criminal Justice and Behaviour Journal , 1633-1646.

Mohandie, k., & Meloy, R. (2011). Suicide by Cop among Female Subjects in Officer-involved

Shooting cases . Journal of Forensic Sciences , 664-668.

Voorhees , J. (2014, August 27). The Problem with "Suicide by Cop": The dangerous term that

stops us from asking hard questions about police shootings . Retrieved from Slate Politics

: www.slate.com/articles/news-and-politics/politics/2014/

Place new order. It's free, fast and safe

Paper type

Deadline

Page count

550 words

Total price: $ 15.00

Our customers say

Jeff Curtis

USA, Student

"I'm fully satisfied with the essay I've just received. When I read it, I felt like it was exactly what I wanted to say, but couldn’t find the necessary words. Thank you!"

Ian McGregor

UK, Student

"I don’t know what I would do without your assistance! With your help, I met my deadline just in time and the work was very professional. I will be back in several days with another assignment!"

Shannon Williams

Canada, Student

"It was the perfect experience! I enjoyed working with my writer, he delivered my work on time and followed all the guidelines about the referencing and contents."