Suicide by police involves intentionally causing a fatal shooting by law enforcement personnel. It takes advantage of their training in protecting lives. The phenomenon has existed for centuries and is difficult to determine if intentional. People use a variety of methods, including brandishing a weapon or threatening to set off an explosive device.
Suicide by police officer refers to a situation in which an individual intentionally causes a fatal shooting by law enforcement personnel. This method of suicide takes advantage of the training many law officers receive in protecting their own lives and the lives of others. Law enforcement personnel are commonly trained in the use of lethal force if they believe someone is in danger of being shot, an explosive device may be set off, or any other circumstance that could endanger innocent lives. An individual can plan suicide by using any of these actions that could trigger a lethal response.
The term suicide by policeman originated in the 1980s, although the phenomenon has existed for much of recorded history. There are examples in documents dating back to Roman times, and a number of more modern historical examples also fit the general description. Suicide by a policeman has only been studied since about 1985, when a scientific journal first investigated it. The term may have first appeared in the United States, but examples occurred in other countries, and a jury trial in the United Kingdom ruled in 2003 that someone had committed suicide in this way.
People have used a variety of different methods to commit police suicide over the years. One of the most common is to simply brandish a handgun and point it at an officer of the law or a bystander, as an officer will often use lethal force if he believes a life is in danger. Many people have used toy guns, air guns, or other non-functional weapons to accomplish this end. Others attempted to run over a police officer with their vehicle, threatened to rig an explosive device, or engaged in other behavior that threatened innocent lives. Anything that could potentially trigger the training of a law enforcement officer could be exploited by a suicidal individual.
It is often difficult to determine whether the suicide was intentional, as the state of mind of the deceased is not always known. In some cases a person will leave a suicide note before unleashing a lethal response. The deceased person’s actions can also lead to a police officer determining suicide, especially if he makes specific statements or brandishes a non-functioning weapon. However, this is not an absolute indicator, as many perpetrators will manage to kill a number of law enforcement officers or innocent bystanders before being shot.
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