Safety Resources
November 1, 2002
Why Is The Suspect Shot In The Back? Finally, Hard Data On How Fast The Suspect Can Be - In 11 Different Shooting Scenarios
Bill Lewinski, Ph.D.
We have always known that generally action beats reaction. And, we've been able to demonstrate this in a variety of civilian and law enforcement situations. Since the invention of the shot timer, we've known how quickly officers can react in shooting situations...
May 1, 2002
What You Need To Tell The Prosector In YOur Next Use-Of-Force Case
Joe Wegg
It seems we're bombarded daily with headlines of another police-involved shooting. I'd bet that you've all talked with your fellow officers about the consequences of getting into a shooting. The consequences of all police-involved shootings are tremendous – it doesn't take your standard police sensitivity class to understand why...
November 1, 2002
Biomechanics Of Lethal Force Encounters - Officer Movements
Dr. Bill Lewinski, Ph. D.
It is my intent to investigate the dynamics and biomechanics (the mechanics of biological and muscular activity) that occur in officer-involved shootings in a series of research studies. The first of the series started with measuring subject behavior in shooting situations...
November 1, 2004
Telling The Truth: About Police Shootings
Charles Remsberg
There is an illusion that we see everything and see it clearly. Actually we have good vision only within five to seven degrees of the center of the eye. Complicating this, most shootings occur when our vision is poorest – at night or in lowlight surroundings.
August 16, 2010
Injuries To Officers And Suspects In Police Use-Of-Force Cases: A QUASI-Experimental Evaluation
Bruce Taylor and Daniel J. Woods
The Conducted Energy Device (CED) weapon holds the potential to reduce injuries for officers/suspects. However, the dearth of research on CEDs makes it difficult to make informed decisions about its deployment. We conducted a quasi experiment to compare 4 years of data from seven law enforcement agencies (LEAs) with CED deployment with six matched LEAs without CED deployment. Compared with non- CED sites, CED sites had lower rates of officer injuries, suspect severe injuries, and officers and suspects receiving injuries requiring medical attention. Our results suggest that CEDs can be effective in helping minimize physical struggles and resulting injuries in use-of-force cases...
July 1, 2011
Self-Defense Pistol 101
Richard Mann
Using a handgun to defend your life requires more than just familiarity with the firearm – it demands a concerted effort to practice the skills necessary to use it and its accessories under stress. Follow this former police trainer's five practical drills beforehand, and you'll be better prepared when a worst-case
June 17, 2011
Force Science Institute Newsletter - June 17, 2011
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
I. "Current training may leave officers more vulnerable": Early highlights from forthcoming
FSI assessment project
II. New nat'l reports underscore Taser safety for cops, suspects alike
III. Survivors speak: A different view on police suicide
IV. Long working hours again tied to heart disease in latest study
V. Verbal Judo founder Dr. George Thompson dies at 69
VI. Additional clarification on reaction-time study
July 5, 2011
As Police Deaths Mount, What Can You Do Now To Stay Safe?
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
At the end of June, total duty-related fatalities in the U.S. are up 8% compared to the same time last year, according to preliminary figures from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Officer murders from gunfire are spiking an alarming 38% increase. If trends hold through the second half of the year, we could see the worst annual toll in a decade.
August 8, 2011
Should ER Docs Be Required To Report Suspected Cases Of Police Brutality? Controversy Flares Over What's Needed
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
A resounding clash between researchers has erupted over the question of whether emergency room doctors should report suspected cases of excessive force by LEOs. On one hand are American researchers--MDs and PhDs--who argue that in the interest of "violence prevention" ER physicians should notify Internal Affairs investigators whenever they see a patient whose injuries may be the result of "police abuse."
August 26, 2011
Cops Not Guilty Of Unreasonable Force In Mistaken Killing Of Child Hostage: Appeals Court
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
An internationally publicized case of a tragic shooting in which Force Science testimony was given has been decided by a California appellate court in favor of the involved officers.
Controversial from the beginning, the headline-grabbing case concerned a tense standoff between LAPD SWAT and a drug-deranged father who was holding his 19-month-old daughter in his arm as a hostage and human shield. In a desperate showdown, officers killed the offender in a fusillade of bullets--but also, inadvertently, killed the child.
September 11, 2011
Pausing A Moment
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
On the 10th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001 we stand with the millions worldwide who pause not only to remember the horror of that day and the pain of shocking loss, but to salute those who, even in the face of tremendous risk, selflessly committed themselves to helping the helpless and to those who immediately stepped forward in defense of our country. In the midst of chaos they stood as an inspiration to us all. A decade later, we have not forgotten. We never will.
October 7, 2011
Overcoming The "Achilles Heel" Of Use-Of-Force Investigations
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
As an expert in interviewing skills, Dr. Ed Geiselman has seen the good, the bad, and the ugly when it comes to officers being questioned by investigators after use-of-force events.
Recently he was asked to review transcripts and audio recordings of interviews in cases where LEOs' jobs were on the line because of allegedly inappropriate force. In each he concluded that poor interviewing techniques had hampered the officers in their efforts to explain their actions adequately. One interview, he told Force Science News, was the worst he'd come across in his 28 years of working with law enforcement.
October 26, 2011
5 Tips For Officers InUse-Of-Force Intervews
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
In Force Science News #188 [Click here to read it], Dr. Ed Geiselman, an internationally recognized authority on interviewing techniques, offered 5 critical reminders for investigators on how to elicit accurate and comprehensive statements from involved officers and eyewitnesses in OISs and other use-of-force cases
But what it you're an involved officer being questioned by an investigator who doesn't understand or adhere to these "best practices" for fair and impartial interviewing? What canyou do to protect yourself from bias or ineptitude on the part of your questioner?
November 5, 2011
What's Next After A Shooting? Force Science-Based Trio Share Their Recommendations
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
These are just a few of the procedural issues addressed late last month at the annual IACP conference in Chicago during a fast-paced, 2-hour presentation called "Chief, I've Been in a Shooting: What Happens Next?"
November 18, 2011
New Checklist Being Tested To Help Cops Respond To People With Mental Illness
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
Two law enforcement agencies have begun field testing a new screening form that may eventually lead to a better means for identifying people with severe mental illness who may be a danger to themselves or others.
December 2, 2011
How Much Help Is Too Much From A Police Attorney After An OIS
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
Should an attorney be allowed to help an officer craft a report on a shooting or other major
use of force? In a case that grew out of 2 controversial fatal shootings by police, an appeals court in
Canada has emphatically said "No."
November 16, 2012
Readers React to Court's Limitation on Lawyer Aid after an OIS
Chuck Remsberg, Editor-in-Chief
Two law enforcement agencies have begun field testing a new screening form that may eventually lead to a better means for identifying people with severe mental illness who may be a danger to themselves or others.