Examining the Predictors of Minor Assaults Against Police Officers During Traffic Stops

• In Event: Workplace and Occupational Victimization

Abstract

Abstract:
Official FBI statistics for 2021 indicate that citizens used personal weapons (such as hands, fists, or feet) in 32,421 assaults against on-duty police officers, constituting 74.3% of all assaults against law enforcement (FBI, 2023). Despite this, existing research on assaults against police officers has primarily focused on incidents involving officer fatalities or serious injuries inflicted by citizens’ use of weapons (such as guns or knives), overlooking minor assaults involving personal weapons during police interactions. Leveraging data from the Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted (LEOKA) database for 2021, this study addresses this area by investigating predictors of the rate of minor assaults on officers during traffic stops. The findings and potential policy implications will be discussed at the meeting.

Authors

• Dawn Hendricks, University of Louisville

• Alex Widdowson, University of Louisville