title: Death certification of "suicide by cop".
abstract: Death certification of "suicide by cop" is controversial among some medical examiners and coroners. We present five such deaths that were certified as suicides and discuss the medico-legal issues involved with these certifications. To certify such a death as a suicide, certain criteria should be met. Suicide by cop is a circumstance that involves competing intentional acts that may result in dichotomous determinations of the manner of death. Despite the absence of direct self-infliction, there is overwhelming evidence that these five individuals intended to end their own lives. Their use of an unusual method to accomplish this goal may inappropriately result in a reflexive certification of homicide. All of the decedents possessed weapons or a facsimile of a weapon. We present five instances of suicide by cop and contend that these types of deaths are best certified as suicides.
authors.affiliation: University of Arizona College of Medicine-Phoenix, 550 E Van Buren Street, Phoenix, AZ 85004, USA.
authors.forename: Amber R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Neitzel
authors.forename: James R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Gill
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants / Q000097:blood; D003042:Cocaine / Q000097:blood; D003617:Dangerous Behavior; D003644:Death Certificates; D000431:Ethanol / Q000097:blood; D049429:Forensic Pathology; D005555:Forensic Psychiatry; D006801:Humans; D033182:Intention; D008297:Male; D001523:Mental Disorders / Q000523:psychology; D009294:Narcotics / Q000097:blood; D016495:Police; D013405:Suicide; D054041:Weapons
chemical_list: D002492:Central Nervous System Depressants; D009294:Narcotics; D000431:Ethanol; D003042:Cocaine