Placing police shootings in context and implications for evidence based policy: an exploration and descriptive analysis of these incidents in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia from 1990–2010

Abstract

ABSTRACTBecause little traditional data is available on police shootings, this study utilized a content analysis of newspaper stories to examine the frequency, nature and context of police shootings in the Hampton Roads region of Virginia over 20 years. Findings indicate a high rate of both fatalities and non-lethal shootings. Scholars and practitioners have long noted that what is unknown about police shootings outweighs what is known, a knowledge gap that demands attention in the current landscape of criminal justice in the United States. There has been a body of research has developed around the use of deadly force; however, little data is available and accessible at the state and municipal level, which impedes the development of evidence based policy. This absence of data to inform policy suggests that existing policies likely are not fully and most efficiently addressing the best interests of the multiple parties involved in single incidents.