Assessment of Compliance Commands on Suspect Reactivity and Officer Response.

• In Event: Advances and Research in Policing Tactics and Training

Abstract

Law enforcement officers are often required to make decisions quickly and under elevated levels of stress. While rare, some of these decisions involve the utilization of deadly force. There are several incidents where a suspect has been shot when responding incorrectly to the commands of an officer. One such incident occurred in a Wal-Mart where an individual with a BB gun was shot after be startled by police officers. The current study examines both the impact of varying level of compliance commands on the manner in which civilians respond as well as the law enforcement response to the observed reaction. This study was broken into two distinct phases. The first phase focused on civilian responses to police commands using two different tones of voice by the law enforcement officer (i.e., speaking and yelling commands to a preoccupied civilian). Phase two uses an actor replicating the average startled response from the first phase to examine police response to such movements. Data were analyzed using both descriptive and inferential techniques. Results and policy implications for law enforcement interactions with civilians are discussed in depth.

Author

• William L. Sandel, Texas State University - ALERRT Center