Use of force by law enforcement: an evaluation of safetyand injury.
BACKGROUND
Little is known about the frequency and types of injuries sustained from law enforcement use of force (UOF). The purpose of this study was to examine injury patterns and subject conditions after law enforcement UOF under real-life conditions.


METHODS
A retrospective cohort design was used to examine every UOF by a single police department from January through December, 2006. Data were collected from law enforcement UOF forms as well as medical records and included conditions surrounding the UOF, medical histories, and data from emergency department (ED) evaluations and hospital admissions.


RESULTS
Of 888 individuals subjected to force during the study period, 86.9% were men and the average body mass index was 25.8. Ages ranged from 10 to 77 years; juveniles comprised 5.6%. Of the types of force used by police, 73.7% were blows with arms or legs; 15.9% were Taser, 4.6% were capsicum spray, 1.7% were K-9, 0.7% were impact weapons, and 0.2% were firearms. Of the 630 (70.9%) with medical records, 78.7% had a substance abuse or psychiatric history. ED evaluations occurred for 187 (21.1% of) incidents. When laboratory workup occurred, 75.5% had positive urine toxicology and 45.9% had positive ethanol levels. Admission occurred in 15.5% (29) of ED presentations (3.3% of all subjects); of these, 9 (31.0%) were for UOF-related injury. Two subjects in the study died: one as a result of firearm injury and one by suicide after UOF; both were declared dead on scene.


CONCLUSIONS
Significant injuries related to law enforcement UOF in one city were rare and the only deaths were related to firearm use. A large percentage of those subjected to UOF had diagnoses of substance abuse and/or psychiatric conditions, and most hospital admissions were for problems unrelated to the UOF.
Division of Emergency Medicine, University of Washington, Seattle, WA 98195, USA. strote@u.washington.edu
Jared
J
Strote
Erik
E
Verzemnieks
Mimi
M
Walsh
H Range
HR
Hutson
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D004636:Emergency Service, Hospital / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D005260:Female; D005389:Firearms / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D006708:Homicide / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence / Q000517:prevention & control*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D035846:Law Enforcement / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016495:Police / Q000592:standards; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012307:Risk Factors; D014481:United States / Q000453:epidemiology; D054041:Weapons / Q000331:legislation & jurisprudence; D014947:Wounds and Injuries / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000517:prevention & control*; D055815:Young Adult