Annually, approximately 300 deaths in the United States are attributed to police-
involved shootings. The legal categorization of these cases is often termed
justifiable homicide. However, closer examination of these cases reveals
that motives of a small percentage of individuals who threaten the police
have been linked to suicide. In a deadly game of cat-and-mouse, the police
were being engaged in life-threatening situations as a means towards an end.
In typical American fashion the phenomenon is labeled suicide by cop as a
form of shorthand. The purpose of this book is two-fold. First, by presenting
research of suicide by cop in the form of qualitative analysis allows for the
richness of the data to demonstrate how the suicidal drama unfolds and how
the authority of the police is usurped for the insidious purpose of committing
suicide. Second, the theory of victim-scripted suicide will support a generalization
of suicide by cop cases, which is necessary for future research. It will
be through greater understanding that the ability to prevent and/or mitigate
incidents with the potential of erupting into a suicide by cop will emerge. The
book will serve academics, police practitioners, as well as students interested
in advancing their knowledge on the subject of suicide by cop, and will equally
serve to inform those in the medical, mental health, and legal fields.