A Closer Look at Domestic Disturbances that Resulted in Fatal Shootings by Police in 2015

• In Event: Policing, Domestic Violence, and Football

Abstract

The danger that domestic violence incidents pose to responding law enforcement officers has been the subject of early research. Although domestic violence incidents are often perceived to be a source of grave danger to law enforcement officers, some research has uncovered that responding to these incidents may be less dangerous to officers than previously believed. Nevertheless, these incidents do pose a threat to officers. Some prior studies have explored the predictors of police officer injuries and fatalities when responding to such incidents; however, less attention has been given to the nature of incidents involving officers’ use of deadly force when responding to domestic-related incidents. Using data compiled by the Washington Post on 990 fatal shootings by police that occurred in 2015, we consider whether characteristics and the level of threat posed by domestic-related incidents significantly differ from other incidents.

Authors

• Gillian M. Pinchevsky, University of Nevada, Las Vegas

• Justin Nix, University of Louisville