Police officer involved shootings – retrospective study of situational characteristics
Petersson, Ulf ; Bertilsson, Johan LU ; Fredriksson, Peter ; Magnusson, Måns LU
and Fransson, Per Anders
LU
(2017)
In Police Practice and Research
18(3).
p.306-321
- Abstract
The study analyzed the situational characteristics of 112 incidents where police used firearms to handle high threat situations. Most shooting incidents emanated from usually uneventful tasks, e.g., handling burglaries or disturbances. The assailants were commonly armed with firearms (26%), sharp (27%) or blunt objects (10%). The incidents were regularly short-lasting (in 39% were shots fired ≤3 s from threat emerged) and occurred at short distances (in 42% at distances ≤3 m). Predominantly, the first responders had to address the situation and did so with warning shots or, equally common, with fire-for-effect shots (40%) or a combination thereof. Psychological stress was manifested as feelings of panic at some point and as motor skill... (More)
The study analyzed the situational characteristics of 112 incidents where police used firearms to handle high threat situations. Most shooting incidents emanated from usually uneventful tasks, e.g., handling burglaries or disturbances. The assailants were commonly armed with firearms (26%), sharp (27%) or blunt objects (10%). The incidents were regularly short-lasting (in 39% were shots fired ≤3 s from threat emerged) and occurred at short distances (in 42% at distances ≤3 m). Predominantly, the first responders had to address the situation and did so with warning shots or, equally common, with fire-for-effect shots (40%) or a combination thereof. Psychological stress was manifested as feelings of panic at some point and as motor skill alterations, e.g., firing without using sights and with one hand only. Analysis of these incidents shows that all field duty police officers should receive training in handling potentially life-threatening, sudden, close-range attacks.
(Less)
- author
- Petersson, Ulf
; Bertilsson, Johan
LU
; Fredriksson, Peter
; Magnusson, Måns
LU
and Fransson, Per Anders
LU
- organization
- publishing date
- 2017-02-15
- type
- Contribution to journal
- publication status
- published
- subject
- keywords
- firearms, motor control, officer involved shootings, Police use of force, psychomotor
- in
- Police Practice and Research
- volume
- 18
- issue
- 3
- pages
- 16 pages
- publisher
- Taylor & Francis
- external identifiers
-
- wos:000395745500009
- scopus:85012875075
- ISSN
- 1561-4263
- DOI
- 10.1080/15614263.2017.1291592
- language
- English
- LU publication?
- yes
- id
- 2217be0f-ee37-4a03-9151-41a60c957cbf
- date added to LUP
- 2017-02-27 11:54:32
- date last changed
- 2025-01-07 08:32:18
@article{2217be0f-ee37-4a03-9151-41a60c957cbf,
abstract = {{<p>The study analyzed the situational characteristics of 112 incidents where police used firearms to handle high threat situations. Most shooting incidents emanated from usually uneventful tasks, e.g., handling burglaries or disturbances. The assailants were commonly armed with firearms (26%), sharp (27%) or blunt objects (10%). The incidents were regularly short-lasting (in 39% were shots fired ≤3 s from threat emerged) and occurred at short distances (in 42% at distances ≤3 m). Predominantly, the first responders had to address the situation and did so with warning shots or, equally common, with fire-for-effect shots (40%) or a combination thereof. Psychological stress was manifested as feelings of panic at some point and as motor skill alterations, e.g., firing without using sights and with one hand only. Analysis of these incidents shows that all field duty police officers should receive training in handling potentially life-threatening, sudden, close-range attacks.</p>}},
author = {{Petersson, Ulf and Bertilsson, Johan and Fredriksson, Peter and Magnusson, Måns and Fransson, Per Anders}},
issn = {{1561-4263}},
keywords = {{firearms; motor control; officer involved shootings; Police use of force; psychomotor}},
language = {{eng}},
month = {{02}},
number = {{3}},
pages = {{306--321}},
publisher = {{Taylor & Francis}},
series = {{Police Practice and Research}},
title = {{Police officer involved shootings – retrospective study of situational characteristics}},
url = {{https://lup.lub.lu.se/search/files/28720193/21970657.pdf}},
doi = {{10.1080/15614263.2017.1291592}},
volume = {{18}},
year = {{2017}},
}