Police use of force: a contextual study of 'suicide by cop' within the British Police paradigm

The phenomenon of ‘Suicide by Cop’ (SbC) may be described as a ‘high impact low probability’ type of event occurring where a vulnerable individual, with ‘lethality of means’, initiates self-destructive violent conduct. Necessary to sustain public confidence and police legitimacy, research to understand the police response to SbC is deficient in England & Wales (E&W).
By understanding the theories, challenges and operational reality of mitigating a vulnerable individual’s SbC ideation, this research seeks to develop a fuller comprehension of the use of force (UoF) paradigm within an E&W policing context. Using a mixed method approach, a survey questionnaire (n=315) and published UoF Metropolitan Police Service (MPS) dataset
(n=132,410) was statistically analysed. Comparing MPS TASER and authorised firearms officer’s UoF, this research analyses the response, effectiveness and limitations of policing high-risk persons. The findings indicate the sample response to a ‘high-risk’ person is statistically similar, implying a minimal difference in decision making or application of force. The influence of training appears a factor in mitigating threat or risk and the proficiency of any response. This research indicates that firearms officers enhanced training conditions a ‘primed’ response, reducing cognitive burden and enabling the use of other de-escalation tactics. This thesis argues the occurrence of SbC or similar averted ‘near miss’ type incidents is not measured and is reliant on post-incident investigations to improve operational practise. This research concludes implying the mode of arming and use of force paradigm within an E&W context may innately restrain police use of fatal force.