The Impact of Police Officer-Involved Shootings on Organizational Policy in the United States

Abstract

Police officer-involved shootings (OIS) have again been brought to the forefront as a significant national issue following another highly criticized OIS involving an African-American male in the United States. The out roar and debate about acceptable police use of force options has reached critical mass many times over the last few decades. While research has consistently revealed that police use of force, including arrests and verbal warnings, only occurs in approximately 1.5% of police contacts with the public, it has also indicated that the police use of a firearm (OIS) in a suspect engagement is even rarer, estimated to occur approximately 1100 times each year in the United States (with a rate of less than 0.003%). However rare, incidents in which police officers shoot a minority suspect, particularly an African-American, have routinely resulted in allegations of systematic racism, public outcry, demonstrations, and considerable media coverage. The highly acclaimed SHOT database, which examines police OIS in the United States since 2000, has revealed the racial breakdown of the suspect in OIS to be 41% white, 30% black, 25% Hispanic, and 4% Asian/Native American. Further significant findings will be outlined within this chapter. What is surprising is that the rarity of these incidents still results in sensationalization by both traditional and social media (often based on misinformation) and in calls for police policy reform, not only in the United States but also globally.