Juvenile fatalities in law enforcement encounters

Abstract

The use of deadly force by police is not typically associated with juveniles. However, a small percentage of cases do result in their deaths. Utilizing nationwide databases of fatalities involving law enforcement, 224 juvenile deaths were examined over a ten-year period. The majority of deaths were male and minorities. Most cases involved a weapon or the appearance of a weapon, with more than half of the youths having a firearm at the time of their death. Cases were mixed with respect to the suspect's “ flight status,” as many youths were not fleeing at the time of the incident. The circumstances of the deaths were examined for the neighborhood characteristics, such as educational attainment, youth poverty, juvenile population, and racial homogeneity of the area, as well as the situational factors involved at the time of the incident. The most predictive variable in all models was the percentage of Whites only population of the area. Analyses of these deaths shed light on the interactions police have with juveniles. Policy recommendations are included to reduce hostile police and juvenile interactions.