The Tennessee Bureau of Investigation today released its first-ever study on the use of deadly force by the state’s law enforcement agencies while in the line of duty.
Not to be confused with the Law Enforcement Officers Killed or Assaulted report, the new study examines the critical effects the use of deadly force has on the officer, the department and the community.
295 Tennessee police, sheriff’s, and state departments responded to the mixed-methods study. It found 84 agencies experienced at least one officer-involved shooting between 2007 and 2011 with a total of 234 shootings.
The majority of shooting incidents, approximately 60%, were from large departments with more than 100 sworn personnel. Small and medium-sized agencies each reported about 20% of the shooting incidents.
The study also reveals several main factors contributing to officer’s use of deadly force including mentally ill subjects, drugs, gangs and the disposal of seized weapons.