Suicide by cop is a difficult problem to measure, hampering the ability of law enforcement agencies to quantify the problem and discover viable solutions. The article begins by offering statistics on the number of suicides and attempted suicides in the United States, followed by a description of the problem of collecting information about the phenomenon of suicide by cop. Despite the now widespread use of the term “suicide by cop,” a uniform definition of the phenomenon has yet to surface within the law enforcement community, contributing to a lack of knowledge about the problem. The authors suggest that a two-tier procedure can help agencies identify and investigate suspected suicide by cop incidents. The procedure involves a reporting component in which the officer on the scene notes the possibility of a suicide by cop incident and a classifying component in which expert investigators render a final determination of the incident. This procedure is illustrated through the use of three case studies in which the officer’s perspective of the incident is described, followed by the offender’s perspective and the second-tier investigation conclusion. Proper classification of suicide by cop incidents is vitally important to understanding the phenomenon and to instituting controls and procedures that may reduce the incidence of suicide by cop. Exhibits, endnotes