Police Officer Responses to Deadly Encounters with the Public: Understanding Situational Characteristics that Impact Decision-Making

Abstract

Abstract In the USA, police officer–citizen encounters are routine, and while rare, high-profile shootings underscore the acute strains that exist between the police and communities when force is inappropriately applied. This collaborative partnership explored the situational contexts that impact officer decision-making in deadly force encounters in order to inform training and practice initiatives. In this study, we analysed 39 officers’ responses to 233 simulated encounters with the public using a firearms training system. We coded participants’ performance into one of the five possible outcomes (pass, missed target, suspect shot first, shot victim, and shot too soon). The most commonly occurring outcome was pass (44.6%), followed by suspect shooting first (29.6%), and missed target (12.9%). Content analysis of self-identified situational factors revealed that across all scenarios, the officers’ decision was most commonly informed by suspect cues, environmental factors, and the presence of a firearm. Implications of the findings are discussed.