Date on Master's Thesis/Doctoral Dissertation
8-2021
Document Type
Doctoral Dissertation
Degree Name
Ph. D.
Department
Criminal Justice
Degree Program
Criminal Justice, PhD
Committee Chair
Vito, Gennaro
Committee Co-Chair (if applicable)
Hughes, Thomas
Committee Member
Hughes, Thomas
Committee Member
Walsh, William
Committee Member
Gagne, Patricia
Author's Keywords
police lethal force; mental illness; emotion dysregulation; police communications; split second syndrome
Abstract
This multi-case, exploratory research study examined videos and related news media articles of lethal police shootings and found commonalities and possible contributing factors. Videos and informational articles posted on news media websites in the public domain were used in a qualitative content analysis to identify common elements in police lethal force incidents. The results of this study revealed contributing behaviors by the participants related to mental illness that contribute to lethal force. The decision to use lethal force by a police officer is framed using four analytical themes.
Recommended Citation
Byers, Edward H., "A qualitative study of 129 police lethal force incidents in 2016 examining participant behavior relating to mental illness that contributes to the use of lethal force." (2021). Electronic Theses and Dissertations. Paper 3686.
https://doi.org/10.18297/etd/3686
