NCJ Number
176537
Date Published
1998
Length
6 pages
Annotation
This paper discusses the need for Australia's Police Services to be provided with the necessary defense and negotiation skills, as well as training in the effective use of appropriate weapons, for dealing with potentially fatal situations.
Abstract
Between 1990 and 1997, there were 41 cases in which police shot people whom they were trying to detain. Almost half of the persons involved were under the influence of alcohol or drugs at the time of the incident, one-third of the victims were reported to be depressed or to have had some form of psychiatric history, and one-fifth had a domestic altercation prior to police attendance. The police are therefore having to deal with some highly disturbed individuals. The paper identifies patterns and trends across jurisdictions in the incidence of firearms-related deaths in custody, addresses the issue of police use of deadly force, and discusses what alternatives other than firearms are available to police when confronted with an armed, agitated, or suicidal offender. Tables, figures, references