Book Description

This book provides an important insight by poignantly establishing a much clearer definition of what has been known historically as "suicide by cop" or "SbC." As explored in the chapters of this book, "copicide" can be defined as an incident involving the use of deadly force by law enforcement agent(s) in response to the provocation of a threat/use of deadly force against the agent(s) or others by an actor who has voluntarily entered the suicidal drama and has communicated verbally or nonverbally the desire to commit suicide. Officers involved in copicide and use of deadly force experience a myriad of emotions before, during, and after these critical incidents, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Understanding and defining what did and did not occur in copicide is paramount to an officer's capacity for resilience. A considerable amount of recent research has been conducted on suicide by cop. The purpose of this book is to bring together this research within the framework of issues involved with this phenomenon. Topics covered include: What is suicide by cop? Several definitions of the concept are characterized, with discussion of strong and weak points. A review of current research on SbC is outlined and discussed. A compilation of actual cases is presented, with an analysis of police situations in which they occur, descriptions of the perpetrator's background, and motivation to engage the police in this act. A typology for SbC is provided in a later chapter. The psychological aftermath of SbC shootings is also discussed followed by a discussion of suicide risk among police officers and the phenomenon of "suicide by suspect" referring to a police officer who intentionally places him/herself in harm's way in order to die. It is hoped that this book will help to provide a starting point for further discussions and development of a clear conceptual basis for suicide by cop, which is essential if we are to clarify this elusive concept that intermixes between suicide, homicide, and cause for blame.