Death by Police Shooting in Australia: Understanding Lethal Force Decisions Through a Sequence Analysis of Behavior

Abstract

Police officers’ use of lethal force is scrutinized to determine the appropriateness of the decision to shoot. However, surprisingly little research has systematically examined the sequence of behaviors that leads to this decision. This study content analyzed coronial reports of 58 deaths by police shooting in Australia, coding behavioral and situational features. A novel sequence analysis method—the proximity coefficient—was used to determine the proximities of police and subject behaviors to interpret how police firearm presentation and discharge may be influenced by preceding actions. Theoretical implications and practical applications for preventing fatal outcomes are discussed.