Hostage and Barricade Incidents Within an Officer-Involved Shooting Sample: Suicide by Cop, Intervention Efficacy, and Descriptive Characteristics

The study analyzed 84 hostage, barricade, and jumper cases from within a large sample (n = 707) of officer-involved shooting (OIS) cases occurring between 1998 and 2006. Seventy-six percent of these incidents involved suicidal individuals—66% were ultimately determined to be suicide by cop (SbC), nearly twice the likelihood in the overall sample. Most of the subjects were males, average age 36, involved in an unplanned event that escalated into an SbC attempt. Seventy-one percent of OIS subjects in the hostage barricade group survived the encounter, while only 33% of the SbC subjects did, a statistically significant difference in mortality rate. Of the 43 cases where crisis negotiation and verbal techniques were attempted with SbC subjects, they made no significant difference in outcome. Length of time also did not decrease risk of injury or death. Behavioral resolve to die on the part of the subject appears to be a key determinant of outcome. Suicide-by-cop ideation and intent is a high-risk indicator for subject fatality and injury in hostage and barricade incidents, and needs to be quickly and accurately assessed.