Suspect resistance, police use of force, and officer injuries in a post-Floyd era: an analysis of two large police departments

Abstract

ABSTRACT While the events following the death of Michael Brown in Ferguson, Missouri, undoubtedly brought about anti-police sentiment, the death of George Floyd may have brought about even greater hostility towards police. Utilizing data from two large police departments, we test whether there were significant increases in the incidence of civilian resistance, Black civilian resistance, use of force, and officer injuries. Estimation of multiple interrupted time-series models revealed that except for officer injuries in one agency, all outcomes significantly increased post-Floyd. Implications for policy and practice are discussed.