Suicide by Cop: What is It?

Maybe you have heard the term, "suicide by cop" and wondered what that meant? Ask a police officer that question and they'll tell you it is a nightmare scenario for them. A suicide by cop has been defined by Science Daily as "a suicide method in which a person engages in actual or apparent danger to others in an attempt to get oneself killed or injured by law enforcement."

That "danger to others" part usually means the person will attempt to provoke the officer or officers into shooting him/her by threatening the officers. Pointing a gun at the police officer, pulling a knife, or pretending to have a weapon and charging at the officer are just a few of the methods that suicidal people have used to get a police officer to shoot them.

The Journal of Forensic Sciences studied officer involved shootings and found that 36 percent of those shootings were attempts at suicide by cop. 50 percent of those shootings resulted in death or serious injury to the suicidal person. The numbers seem to be on the rise for suicide by cop (SBC) incidents, but why?

For some of these suicidal individuals, committing the act of suicide by their own hand is too difficult, for others there can be perceived religious reasons why they are not willing to commit the act themselves. Still, mental illness and drug induced moments of delusion are often the cause. It is hard to know exactly what a suicidal person was thinking when they acted in a manner with hopes of being shot and killed by police.

Police officer's who have been forced to take a person's life in an SBC situation, are often left feeling emotionally wrought . They question if there was any other way to have avoided the incident and even when they know they did exactly what they were trained to do, it's something they have to live with for the rest of their lives. After an officer has been forced to take the life of anyone, he or she is changed forever.

Few people wonder about the police officer who was involved in an SBC or how they cope with such a traumatic event. Many officers that go through a suicide by cop shooting must take some time away from the job and seek out professional counseling. It can cause the officer to experience extreme emotions; nightmares , inability to sleep, moodiness, depression, guilt, and uncertainty as to whether they can still do their job and whether they still want to do the job.

SBC is a horrible thing for everyone involved. If you are feeling depressed or suicidal, there is help. You can call the National Suicide Hotlines at 1-800-784-2433 or 1-800-273-8255. You can also click here for a list of online and hotline counseling services.

Related articles by Sherri Thornhill:

Domestic Violence: What Happens When You Call Police

Police Officer's Are Human (my story)

When to Call 911

5 Drugs Teens Steal From Their Parents

Source: Author's experience as a police officer, National Suicide Hotline, National Police Officers Law Enforcement Memorial,Journal of Forensic Sciences