Suicide by Cop Term Paper

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Suicide by Cop

Trying to commit suicide has been happening since long, as also attempts to slay police officials. But, the mishmash between the two is a development that exposes the police officials to risk. Literally, "suicide by cop" indicates a police official who takes his own life; ideologically it pertains to someone who gets himself executed by an official. At times it can imply the two. The intention of somebody trying "suicide by cop" is to put police officials in a predicament in which they should murder. The trauma on officials is normally the remorse they tolerate due to the cause of becoming the demise of someone else. This misfortune is the one of the greatest moment of ordeal and upsetting event in the life of a police official. (Fleischauer, 2004)

Sadly, this trend is increasing. Specialists are in pursuit of finding out the most fitting expression to illustrate this sort of events. An ordinary individual on coming across the expression "suicide by cop" is likely to interpret it to be police officials committing suicide. But, the legal authorities construe the expression to mean as persons who does not want to live anymore and utilizes the police to achieve that objective. (Kennedy; Homant; Hupp, 1998) In any definition, the propensity of a desperate individual facing up to police officers in a way that might incite a protective response is a mounting apprehension for the legal authorities. The police authorities have traditionally avoided to converse about these events for the practical trepidation that too much hype may engineer repetitive occurrences. (Scoville, 1998) research on 'suicide by policeman' conducted by Yarbrough revealed that nearly 10% of the events could be counted as suicide by policeman. Males figured in nearly every event, most of them being belonging to the Latino community or were whites. Past household disturbances, drunkenness or drug intake, and also trying to commit suicide in the past were significant prevalence's. The common reason triggering this extreme move was breaking up of a relationship: parting ways with a girlfriend or a split in marriage. Experiencing run down and desperate, the sufferers arrived at the decision that the final solution lie in death. Incapable to take their own lives, they turned to policeman to liberate them from their agony and mastered some arrangement which will finally end up in their own death. (Scoville, 1998)

According to Yarbrough, 'suicide by cop' is a disgraceful occurrence: an act performed by a suspect that would assure that the police was present there. It might be an impulsive act of devastation of belongings purporting to wreckage or criminal offence of setting on fire, or attacking a person. It might also be indiscriminately intimidating with a weapon to the passers-by or a person in a car. In any case, it would locate an informer and probably the suspect on his own summoning the police to inform them about the happening of the crime. This contemptible occurrence normally comes after a phase of nervous hesitancy on the part of the suspect. However, when he is steadfast of ending his life, the suspect might undergo a phase in which he behaves in a serene and orderly way. No more diverted by the likely effects of his performances, the suspect could fruitfully direct his thoughts and deeds in the direction of engineering measures such that countering officials will get themselves to the situation of safeguarding their lives or other people's lives. (Scoville, 1998)

Another research recommends that in excess of one in ten deadly shootouts by officers of the Los Angeles Sheriff's Department (LASD) is triggered through a suicide by individuals who wished to die and preferred to spark off crossfire by intimidating a police official. About 437 cases where police officials were part of the shootout inspected by LASD covering 11 years from 1987-97 was evaluated by scholars and it emerged that suicide by police officer constituted about 11% of the net incident. Of significance were the parallel which the researchers found out in case of the persons who were determined to meet death in this manner. They revealed that the overwhelming mass of 98% constituted males and 39% were embroiled with household disturbances. Prior account of suicide efforts coupled with increased prevalence of drunkenness and remaining under the influence of drugs also contributed to the feature. Nearly, 50% of the arsenal employed to intimidate the officials were a gun and the most of them were functional and ready for use. (Dingsdale, 1998) mere 17% of persons attempting to commit suicide used mock guns just to rouse officers.

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The proof collected by the research personnel even states that suicide by policeman seems to increase. Even though 46 cases were known to happen in the years 1987-97; of them 13 happened during the year 1997 only. However, whatsoever the causes of the suicide by policeman might be, research professionals visualize this tendency with grave repercussions. Apart from the hazard to officials and others subjected to by these suicidal persons, a mental pressure falls upon the officer to mull over. Several officer think twice before deciding to open fire in these circumstances. The matter is likely to be aggravated by the reality that killings related to this event are not usually documented as suicides by clinicians and doctors. Branding of these deaths as murder might evince issues rendering the officers legally accountable. (Dingsdale, 1998)

Suicide by cop' is not pre-planned. These can occur on the verge of the incident, particularly if firearms are in possession. An individual who is dejected might be relegated to the extreme point by severance of a relationship, being ousted from an employment or any other debacle in his life. They might not have any intent of ending their lives till the police officials are summoned to mediate in the matter. At that moment it might strike to them, as an idea or just about an envisaged thought, which they may keep occupied the police in a weaponry altercation, devoid of evaluating the effects till they are a close shave from compelling the police officials to open fire on them. Under the influence of drunkenness, he might not be totally mindful of the situation that his each intimidating expression and gesticulation can bring him only nearer to death. (Stincelli, 2004)

Apart from the hazard to officials and others subjected to by these suicidal persons, a mental pressure reigns on the officer to ponder. Several officers think twice before deciding to open fire in these circumstances. The matter is likely to be aggravated by the reality that killings related to this event are not usually documented as suicides by clinicians and doctors. Categorizing these deaths as murders might evoke issues rendering the officers legally answerable. Knowledge regarding the incidence of killing by police is also of significance to professionals extending health care facilities. A majority of the experts from the medical world have little knowledge regarding this experience and this has a noticeable influence on the well-being of the patients. Professionals in the field of healthcare involved in the revival of victims sustaining gunshots in these situations must be conscious of the fact that they might be nursing people attempting to suicide. Apart from this, healthcare professionals concerned with the assessment of suspected individuals attempting to commit suicide ought to know that suicide of policeman is a genuine type of suicide. (Dingsdale, 1998)

In any nomenclature, an event of this nature is painful. It is painful to a greater extent at the juncture when several departments are implicated and the political hues come to be more significant compared to the wronged police officers. Researches on legal enforcement backed suicide go on in the United States. The administrators of Police establishments are starting to take cognizance of the long-term damaging impact these perilous events put on the police officials implicated. In several occasions officers are caught up in a stalemate state of affairs. Following a 'suicide by cop' episode or majority of the shootout happenings, the official firing might be taken in with remorse and give second thought to his or her deeds. The construal of the police official regarding the incident is significant to observe. This is in keeping with the matters documented regarding the PTSD symptoms of policemen implicated in a 'suicide by cop' occurrence. (Paynter, 2000)

Some serving police officials are have been afflicted with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Many police officials are sufferers of this syndrome. The various manifestation of this disorder is extreme alertness, trepidation, annoyance, insomnia, intermittent hallucinations and despair. It is pertinent on the part of administrators of criminal justice, managers, overseers, associates and members of the family to be aware of these warning signs. In the event of a single or added signs are noticeable in the officer, he must take the help of an expert. In several occasions, the instance, pace in which the skirmish is heightened and the police official's analysis of the situation of instant threat to himself or other people constrained the policeman or policewomen to….....

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