Police shooting as a method of self-harming : a review of the evidence for 'suicide by cop' in England and Wales between 1998 and 2001

There is increasing evidence that some individuals actively seek to bring about their own deaths by provoking armed police officers to shoot them. The current paper examines 22 police shooting incidents, nine fatal, between 1998 and 2001, to assess the likelihood of suicidal motivation in each of these cases. All 22 individuals shot were male, 18 were white, three black and one Asian and ages ranged from 18 to 51. Around half of the shootings examined have some evidence indicating a suicidal motive in those shot, with further indications of irrational behaviour in a number of the other cases. This has clear implications for the choice of police strategy in responding to such incidents and an imperative to develop 'less lethal' options to minimise the risk to such vulnerable populations.