U.S. Department of Justice 

Office of Justice Programs 

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Bureau of Justice Statistics · Statistical Tables

BJS

November 2011, NCJ 235385

By Andrea M. Burch, BJS Statistician

F

rom 2003 through 2009, a total of 4,813 deaths 

were reported to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ 

(BJS) Arrest-Related Deaths (ARD) program. 

Of these, about 6 in 10 deaths (2,931) were classified 

as homicide by law enforcement personnel, and 4 in 

10 (1,882) were attributed to other manners of death. 

Suicide and death by intoxication each accounted 

for 11% of reported arrest-related deaths, accidental 

injury for 6%, and natural causes for 5% (figure 1). 

Deaths with manners classified as undetermined or 

those in which manners were unknown represented 

about 6% of reported arrest-related deaths.

During the same period, the FBI estimated nearly 

98 million arrests in the United States. While men 

comprised about 76% of reported arrests, they 

represented 95% of persons who died during the 

process of arrest (figure 2). As a group, arrestrelated decedents tended to be older than the arrest 

population. Those under the age of 25 accounted for 

45% of reported arrests but less than a quarter (22%) of 

arrest-related deaths. 

The ARD program is a national collection of persons 

who die in the custody or under the restraint of state or 

local law enforcement personnel. Deaths are reportable 

to the program without considering whether physical 

custody had been established or whether a formal arrest 

process had been initiated prior to the time of death. 

The ARD collection also includes the deaths of persons 

attempting to elude law enforcement during the course 

of apprehension. Data collected from January 2003 

through December 2009 detail the percent and type 

of arrest-related deaths, as well as the demographic 

characteristics of decedents and the law enforcement 

agencies involved in the death. 

Arrest-related deaths are under-reported. BJS did not 

attempt to estimate for partial or non-responding 

jurisdictions. Data are more representative of the nature 

of arrest-related deaths than the volume at which they 

occur. Due to variation in reporting, caution should be 

used in comparing counts from year to year.

Arrest-Related Deaths, 

2003-2009 - Statistical Tables

Figure 1

Reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death, 

2003–2009

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percent

Unknown

Natural causes

Accidental 

Intoxication

Suicide

Homicide* 61.5

5.7

5.7

10.9

11.2

5.1

Note: Detail does not sum to total due to rounding.

*Includes homicide by law enforcement and other persons.

Figure 2 

Reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic 

characteristics, 2003–2009

0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100

Percent

Unknown

45 or older

35-44

25-34

24 or younger

Unknown

Other

Hispanic

Black

White

Female

Male

25.7

22.2

21.5

3.3

19.7

31.8

42.1

4.5

95.4

Age

Race/Hispanic origin

Sex

28.9

3.1

1.6

Note: Detail does not sum to total due to rounding and missing data.
2 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Highlights

Manner of death

 Homicide by law enforcement personnel accounted for 

2,931(61%) of reported arrest-related deaths from 2003 

through 2009 (table 1).

 Suicide and death by intoxication each accounted for about 

11% of reported arrest-related deaths (table 2).

 Deaths due to natural causes were the least common type 

of arrest-related death, comprising 5% (244) of all reported 

deaths.

 Of all arrest-related deaths reported from 2003 through 

2009, about 6% (273) had manners of death that were 

either classified as undetermined or were unreported.

Decedent characteristics

 From 2003 through 2009, males comprised 95% of all 

reported deaths during the process of arrest (table 4).

 Whites accounted for 42% of reported arrest-related 

deaths, 32% were black, and 20% were Hispanic.

 More than half (55%) of all persons who died during the 

process of arrest were between the ages of 25 and 44.

Manner of death and decedent characteristics

Among reported arrest-related suicides, 60% of decedents 

were white, 20% were Hispanic, and 15% were black (table 6).

 Of all arrest-related deaths by intoxication, blacks 

were 41% of reported decedents, whites were 34%, and 

Hispanics were 21%.

Among males, homicide accounted for 62% of reported 

arrest-related deaths. Of all females, homicide represented 

49% of arrest-related deaths (table 7).

A higher percentage of female arrest-related deaths than 

male deaths were attributed to intoxication (16% compared 

to 11%) and natural causes (12% compared to 5%).

Adults between ages 25 and 44 represented 70% of all 

reported arrest-related deaths due to intoxication.

 Juveniles (persons under the age of 18) comprised 3% 

(127) of all arrest-related deaths reported from 2003 

through 2009. Most juvenile deaths (78%) were homicides.

Incident circumstances

The FBI estimated state and local law enforcement officers 

made 97.9 million arrests from 2003 through 2009. 

During the same period, 4,813 arrest-related deaths were 

reported to BJS (table 12).

 Of reported arrest-related deaths, 45% of decedents 

allegedly engaged in assault either immediately prior to or 

during the process of arrest (table 13).

 No criminal charges were intended to be filed against 163 

(3%) persons who died during the process of arrest.

Among arrest-related deaths attributed to homicide, 75% 

of decedents allegedly engaged in violent offenses (table 14).

Law enforcement agency characteristics

 Nationwide, 7% (1,187) of state and local law enforcement 

agencies with 100 or more full-time sworn personnel 

employed 64% of these law enforcement personnel and 

accounted for 75% (3,613) of all reported arrest-related 

deaths (table 15).

 State and local law enforcement agencies employing fewer 

than 10 full-time sworn personnel (8,796) represented 

49% of all agencies nationwide, employed 5% (34,497) of 

all full-time sworn personnel, and accounted for about 2% 

(117) of reported arrest-related deaths.
November 2011 3

List of Tables

Table 1. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 2. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 3. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Table 4. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Table 5. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death and demographic characteristics, 

2003-2009

Table 6. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death and demographic characteristics, 

2003-2009

Table 7. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics and manner of death, 2003-

2009

Table 8. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction, 2003-2009

Table 9. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction and manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 10. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction and manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 11. Number of arresting agencies with at least one reported arrest-related death, by jurisdiction, 

2003-2009

Table 12. Demographic characteristics of all reported arrests and persons who died in the process of arrest, 

2003-2009

Table 13. Reported arrest-related deaths, by incident circumstances, 2003-2009

Table 14. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by incident circumstances and manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 15. Number of law enforcement agencies, full-time sworn personnel, and reported arrest-related deaths, 

by agency characteristics, 2003-2009

Table 16. Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by characteristics of the law enforcement agency involved 

and manner of death, 2003-2009

Table 17. Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by characteristics of the law enforcement agency involved 

and manner of death, 2003-2009
4 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Table 1

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death, 2003-2009

Manner of death 2003-2009 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

All manners 4,813 627 673 689 721 745 629 729

Homicide —

by law enforcement 2,931 376 375 377 447 455 404 497

by other persons 27 3 4 4 2 7 3 4

Suicide 541 60 84 82 67 78 76 94

Intoxication 525 83 83 90 76 89 54 50

Accidental injury 272 53 41 47 39 35 28 29

Natural causes 244 26 46 32 34 42 33 31

Unknown 273 26 40 57 56 39 31 24

Note: Due to variation in reporting, caution should be used in comparing counts from year to year. See Methodology for information on missing data by state for each 

year. Counts may differ from previous publication due to additional information. 

Table 2

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death, 2003-2009

Manner of death 2003-2009 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

All manners 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Homicide —

by law enforcement 60.9% 60.0% 55.7% 54.7% 62.0% 61.1% 64.2% 68.2%

by other persons 0.6 0.5 0.6 0.6 0.3 0.9 0.5 0.5

Suicide 11.2% 9.6% 12.5% 11.9% 9.3% 10.5% 12.1% 12.9%

Intoxication 10.9% 13.2% 12.3% 13.1% 10.5% 11.9% 8.6% 6.9%

Accidental injury 5.7% 8.5% 6.1% 6.8% 5.4% 4.7% 4.5% 4.0%

Natural causes 5.1% 4.1% 6.8% 4.6% 4.7% 5.6% 5.2% 4.3%

Unknown 5.7% 4.1% 5.9% 8.3% 7.8% 5.2% 4.9% 3.3%

Number of deaths 4,813 627 673 689 721 745 629 729

Note: See Methodology for information on missing data by state for each year. Percentages may differ from previous publication due to additional information.

Table 3

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Demographic characteristics 2003-2009 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total 4,813 627 673 689 721 745 629 729

Sex

Male 4,594 595 645 666 688 708 600 692

Female 218 32 28 22 33 37 29 37

Unknown 1 0 0 1 0 0 0 0

Race/Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 2,026 286 274 283 302 283 258 340

Black, non-Hispanic 1,529 196 215 222 212 249 217 218

Hispanic 949 109 145 136 164 159 106 130

Other* 150 30 23 24 22 18 14 19

Unknown 159 6 16 24 21 36 34 22

Age

17 or younger 127 18 19 13 19 20 18 20

18-24 909 118 126 141 122 146 124 132

25-34 1,391 177 186 190 239 210 182 207

35-44 1,238 184 179 190 174 192 143 176

45-54 752 94 101 83 117 119 117 121

55 or older 317 30 55 51 30 45 41 65

Unknown 79 6 7 21 20 13 4 8

*Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islander, and persons of two or more races.
November 2011 5

Table 4

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Demographic characteristics 2003-2009 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Sex

Male 95.4% 94.9 95.8% 96.7% 95.4% 95.0% 95.4% 94.9%

Female 4.5 5.1 4.2 3.2 4.6 5.0 4.6 5.1

Unknown 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

Race/Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 42.1% 45.6% 40.7% 41.1% 41.9% 38.0% 41.0% 46.6%

Black, non-Hispanic 31.8 31.3 31.9 32.2 29.4 33.4 34.5 29.9

Hispanic 19.7 17.4 21.5 19.7 22.7 21.3 16.9 17.8

Other* 3.1 4.8 3.4 3.5 3.1 2.4 2.2 2.6

Unknown 3.3 1.0 2.4 3.5 2.9 4.8 5.4 3.0

Age

17 or younger 2.6% 2.9% 2.8% 1.9% 2.6% 2.7% 2.9% 2.7%

18-24 18.9 18.8 18.7 20.5 16.9 19.6 19.7 18.1

25-34 28.9 28.2 27.6 27.6 33.1 28.2 28.9 28.4

35-44 25.7 29.3 26.6 27.6 24.1 25.8 22.7 24.1

45-54 15.6 15.0 15.0 12.0 16.2 16.0 18.6 16.6

55 or older 6.6 4.8 8.2 7.4 4.2 6.0 6.5 8.9

Unknown 1.6 1.0 1.0 3.0 2.8 1.7 0.6 1.1

Number of deaths 4,813 627 673 689 721 745 629 729

*Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races.

Table 5

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death and demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Demographic characteristics All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

Total 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

Sex

Male 4,594 2,851 517 490 259 218 259

Female 218 107 24 35 13 26 13

Unknown 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Race/Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 2,026 1,233 327 178 95 110 83

Black, non-Hispanic 1,529 937 80 217 111 85 99

Hispanic 949 599 110 109 55 29 47

Other* 150 107 12 17 4 4 6

Unknown 159 82 12 4 7 16 38

Age

17 or younger 127 99 6 5 13 0 4

18-24 909 685 80 53 54 10 27

25-34 1,391 893 140 177 65 41 75

35-44 1,238 658 159 190 78 66 87

45-54 752 390 105 84 45 75 53

55 or older 317 188 44 11 12 52 10

Unknown 79 45 7 5 5 0 17

*Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races.
6 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Table 6

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by manner of death and demographic characteristics, 2003-2009

Demographic 

characteristics All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

Total 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Sex

Male 95.4% 96.4% 95.6% 93.3% 95.2% 89.3% 94.9%

Female 4.5 3.6 4.4 6.7 4.8 10.7 4.8

Unknown 0.1 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.4

Race/Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 42.1% 41.7% 60.4% 33.9% 34.9% 45.1% 30.4%

Black, non-Hispanic 31.8 31.7 14.8 41.3 40.8 34.8 36.3

Hispanic 19.7 20.3 20.3 20.8 20.2 11.9 17.2

Other* 3.1 3.6 2.2 3.2 1.5 1.6 2.2

Unknown 3.3 2.8 2.2 0.8 2.6 6.6 13.9

Age

17 or younger 2.6% 3.3% 1.1% 1.0% 4.8% 0.0% 1.5%

18-24 18.9 23.2 14.8 10.1 19.9 4.1 9.9

25-34 28.9 30.2 25.9 33.7 23.9 16.8 27.5

35-44 25.7 22.2 29.4 36.2 28.7 27.0 31.9

45-54 15.6 13.2 19.4 16.0 16.5 30.7 19.4

55 or older 6.6 6.4 8.1 2.1 4.4 21.3 3.7

Unknown 1.6 1.5 1.3 1.0 1.8 0.0 6.2

Number of deaths 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

*Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races.

Table 7

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by demographic characteristics and manner of death, 2003-2009

Demographic 

characteristics

Number 

of deaths All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

Total 4,813 100% 61.5% 11.2% 10.9% 5.7% 5.1% 5.7%

Sex

Male 4,594 100% 62.1% 11.3% 10.7% 5.6% 4.7% 5.6%

Female 218 100% 49.1 11.0 16.1 6.0 11.9 6.0

Unknown 1 100% 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 100

Race/Hispanic origin

White, non-Hispanic 2,026 100% 60.9% 16.1% 8.8% 4.7% 5.4% 4.1%

Black, non-Hispanic 1,529 100% 61.3 5.2 14.2 7.3 5.6 6.5

Hispanic 949 100% 63.1 11.6 11.5 5.8 3.1 5.0

Other* 150 100% 71.3 8.0 11.3 2.7 2.7 4.0

Unknown 159 100% 51.6 7.5 2.5 4.4 10.1 23.9

Age

17 or younger 127 100% 78.0% 4.7% 3.9% 10.2% 0.0% 3.1%

18-24 909 100% 75.4 8.8 5.8 5.9 1.1 3.0

25-34 1,391 100% 64.2 10.1 12.7 4.7 2.9 5.4

35-44 1,238 100% 53.2 12.8 15.3 6.3 5.3 7.0

45-54 752 100% 51.9 14.0 11.2 6.0 10.0 7.0

55 or older 317 100% 59.3 13.9 3.5 3.8 16.4 3.2

Unknown 79 100% 57.0 8.9 6.3 6.3 0.0 21.5

*Includes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races.
Table 8

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction, 2003-2009

Region and jurisdiction 2003-2009 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total 4,813 627 673 689 721 745 629 729

Northeast 668 71 99 91 108 110 106 83

Connecticut 31 0 5 4 4 3 5 10

Maine 22 3 1 2 3 5 5 3

Massachusetts 42 9 6 8 2 3 10 4

New Hampshire 10 1 2 2 2 1 1 1

New Jersey 81 6 14 17 7 13 9 15

New Yorka 239 28 39 30 45 42 41 14

Pennsylvania 218 21 30 26 36 40 30 35

Rhode Island 19 2 2 1 6 3 5 0

Vermont 6 1 0 1 3 0 0 1

Midwest 822 131 124 116 101 117 105 128

Illinois 210 29 28 23 20 33 37 40

Indiana 52 9 7 10 7 7 9 3

Iowa 48 4 9 9 3 8 6 9

Kansas 41 5 6 7 9 4 4 6

Michigan 141 26 24 22 18 17 15 19

Minnesota 43 8 9 3 3 7 5 8

Missouri 26 9 3 2 2 2 3 5

Nebraska 17 5 4 1 1 3 3 /

North Dakota 7 3 2 2 0 0 0 0

Ohio 175 20 25 26 26 19 21 38

South Dakota 9 3 1 1 0 2 2 0

Wisconsin 53 10 6 10 12 15 / /

South 1,848 217 228 252 234 309 291 317

Alabama 28 2 0 6 2 4 4 10

Arkansasb 6 / 0 1 3 1 / 1

Delaware 15 1 1 1 5 2 4 1

District of Columbia 20 2 4 4 2 8 / /

Florida 523 55 68 78 76 75 81 90

Georgiab 8 / / / / 3 2 3

Kentucky 38 3 2 4 2 6 9 12

Louisiana 54 / 1 10 12 10 7 14

Marylandb 19 / / / / 7 9 3

Mississippi 18 / 1 0 2 5 7 3

North Carolina 143 16 19 22 / 17 34 35

Oklahoma 64 15 20 4 / 4 12 9

South Carolina 61 6 3 10 15 10 7 10

Tennessee 28 / 0 4 3 12 3 6

Texas 696 105 89 96 90 122 96 98

Virginia 113 10 17 10 22 23 11 20

West Virginia 14 2 3 2 0 0 5 2

West 1,475 208 222 230 278 209 127 201

Alaska 14 0 1 2 1 2 5 3

Arizona 238 26 46 52 57 31 8 18

California 775 106 112 93 154 118 73 119

Colorado 75 21 12 12 11 7 2 10

Hawaii 22 0 5 5 2 2 7 1

Idaho 23 2 1 1 1 8 5 5

Montana / / / / / / / /

Nevadac 12 2 / / / / 2 8

New Mexicoc 51 15 9 8 10 5 / 4

Oregon 77 12 13 17 12 8 8 7

Utah 69 6 9 6 9 15 8 16

Washington 118 17 14 34 21 13 9 10

Wyoming 1 1 / / / / / /

Note: Counts include deaths reported by states and identified by BJS staff. Due to variation in reporting practices, caution should be used in comparing jurisdictions 

from year to year.

/Not reported.

a

The New York City Police Department submits data indepent of the State of New York and did not submit data in 2009.

bArkansas and New Mexico cases identified by BJS staff in 2009; Georgia and Maryland cases identified by BJS staff in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

c

In 2008, detailed data were available for 2 of the 8 records known to BJS.

November 2011 7
8 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Table 9

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction and manner of death, 2003-2009

Region and jurisdiction All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

Total 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

Northeast 668 387 79 92 35 58 17

Connecticut 31 21 4 1 1 3 1

Maine 22 14 4 2 1 0 1

Massachusetts 42 18 3 13 1 6 1

New Hampshire 10 7 2 1 0 0 0

New Jersey 81 47 7 9 6 8 4

New Yorka 239 118 30 38 19 28 6

Pennsylvania 218 149 27 24 5 10 3

Rhode Island 19 10 1 4 1 2 1

Vermont 6 3 1 0 1 1 0

Midwest 822 566 88 63 43 36 26

Illinois 210 142 25 18 11 11 3

Indiana 52 50 0 0 0 2 0

Iowa 48 30 12 0 4 1 1

Kansas 41 22 3 5 2 3 6

Michigan 141 94 14 15 8 7 3

Minnesota 43 33 0 4 3 1 2

Missouri 26 15 5 2 0 1 3

Nebraska 17 11 1 0 2 2 1

North Dakota 7 2 3 2 0 0 0

Ohio 175 120 15 16 10 8 6

South Dakota 9 7 2 0 0 0 0

Wisconsin 53 40 8 1 3 0 1

South 1,848 1,061 232 232 115 93 115

Alabama 28 14 5 3 0 5 1

Arkansasb 6 1 0 3 0 1 1

Delaware 15 13 0 1 0 0 1

District of Columbia 20 15 2 1 0 1 1

Florida 523 356 31 36 36 9 55

Georgiab 8 4 0 0 0 1 3

Kentucky 38 26 7 1 3 1 0

Louisiana 54 34 2 5 3 5 5

Marylandb 19 13 0 0 0 3 3

Mississippi 18 11 2 0 4 1 0

North Carolina 143 74 26 15 16 7 5

Oklahoma 64 51 7 3 3 0 0

South Carolina 61 34 5 10 4 2 6

Tennessee 28 17 0 5 1 2 3

Texas 696 308 127 144 40 50 27

Virginia 113 85 14 3 3 5 3

West Virginia 14 5 4 2 2 0 1

West 1,475 944 142 138 79 57 115

Alaska 14 9 4 0 1 0 0

Arizona 238 146 41 23 13 8 7

California 775 493 31 89 45 39 78

Colorado 75 41 13 6 7 3 5

Hawaii 22 8 0 4 2 4 4

Idaho 23 19 3 0 1 0 0

Montana / / / / / / /

Nevadac 12 9 1 1 0 1 0

New Mexicob 51 25 17 5 2 1 1

Oregon 77 67 6 1 3 0 0

Utah 69 49 16 1 0 0 3

Washington 118 78 10 8 5 1 16

Wyoming 1 0 0 0 0 0 1

Note: Counts include deaths reported by states and deaths identified by BJS staff. Due to variation in reporting practices, caution should be used in comparing 

jurisdictions from year to year.

/Not reported.

a

The New York City Police Department sumbits data independent of the State of New York and did not submit data in 2009.

bArkansas and New Mexico cases identified by BJS staff in 2009; Georgia and Maryland cases identified by BJS staff in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

c

In 2008, detailed data were available for 2 of the 8 records known to BJS.
November 2011 9

Table 10

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by jurisdiction and manner of death, 2003-2009

Region and jurisdiction

Number 

of deaths All manners Homicide Suiicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

Total 4,813 100% 61.5 11.2 10.9 5.7 5.1 5.7

Northeast 668 100% 57.9 11.8 13.8 5.2 8.7 2.5

Connecticut 31 100% 67.7 12.9 3.2 3.2 9.7 3.2

Maine 22 100% 63.6 18.2 9.1 4.5 0.0 4.5

Massachusetts 42 100% 42.9 7.1 31.0 2.4 14.3 2.4

New Hampshire 10 100% 70.0 20.0 10.0 0.0 0.0 0.0

New Jersey 81 100% 58.0 8.6 11.1 7.4 9.9 4.9

New Yorka 239 100% 49.4 12.6 15.9 7.9 11.7 2.5

Pennsylvania 218 100% 68.3 12.4 11.0 2.3 4.6 1.4

Rhode Island 19 100% 52.6 5.3 21.1 5.3 10.5 5.3

Vermont 6 : : : : : : :

Midwest 822 100% 68.9 10.7 7.7 5.2 4.4 3.2

Illinois 210 100% 67.6 11.9 8.6 5.2 5.2 1.4

Indiana 52 100% 96.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 3.8 0.0

Iowa 48 100% 62.5 25.0 0.0 8.3 2.1 2.1

Kansas 41 100% 53.7 7.3 12.2 4.9 7.3 14.6

Michigan 141 100% 66.7 9.9 10.6 5.7 5.0 2.1

Minnesota 43 100% 76.7 0.0 9.3 7.0 2.3 4.7

Missouri 26 100% 57.7 19.2 7.7 0.0 3.8 11.5

Nebraska 17 100% 64.7 5.9 0.0 11.8 11.8 5.9

North Dakota 7 : : : : : : :

Ohio 175 100% 68.6 8.6 9.1 5.7 4.6 3.4

South Dakota 9 : : : : : : :

Wisconsin 53 100% 75.5 15.1 1.9 5.7 0.0 1.9

South 1,848 100% 57.4 12.6 12.6 6.2 5.0 6.2

Alabama 28 100% 50.0 17.9 10.7 0.0 17.9 3.6

Arkansasb 6 : : : : : : :

Delaware 15 100% 86.7 0.0 6.7 0.0 0.0 6.7

District of Columbia 20 100% 75.0 10.0 5.0 0.0 5.0 5.0

Florida 523 100% 68.1 5.9 6.9 6.9 1.7 10.5

Georgiab 8 : : : : : : :

Kentucky 38 100% 68.4 18.4 2.6 7.9 2.6 0.0

Louisiana 54 100% 63.0 3.7 9.3 5.6 9.3 9.3

Marylandb 19 100% 68.4 0.0 0.0 0.0 15.8 15.8

Mississippi 18 100% 61.1 11.1 0.0 22.2 5.6 0.0

North Carolina 143 100% 51.7 18.2 10.5 11.2 4.9 3.5

Oklahoma 64 100% 79.7 10.9 4.7 4.7 0.0 0.0

South Carolina 61 100% 55.7 8.2 16.4 6.6 3.3 9.8

Tennessee 28 100% 60.7 0.0 17.9 3.6 7.1 10.7

Texas 696 100% 44.3 18.2 20.7 5.7 7.2 3.9

Virginia 113 100% 75.2 12.4 2.7 2.7 4.4 2.7

West Virginia 14 100% 35.7 28.6 14.3 14.3 0.0 7.1

West 1,475 100% 64.0 9.6 9.4 5.4 3.9 7.8

Alaska 14 100% 64.3 28.6 0.0 7.1 0.0 0.0

Arizona 238 100% 61.3 17.2 9.7 5.5 3.4 2.9

California 775 100% 63.6 4.0 11.5 5.8 5.0 10.1

Colorado 75 100% 54.7 17.3 8.0 9.3 4.0 6.7

Hawaii 22 100% 36.4 0.0 18.2 9.1 18.2 18.2

Idaho 23 100% 82.6 13.0 0.0 4.3 0.0 0.0

Montana / / / / / / / /

Nevadac 12 100% 75.0 8.3 8.3 0.0 8.3 0.0

New Mexicob 51 100% 49.0 33.3 9.8 3.9 2.0 2.0

Oregon 77 100% 87.0 7.8 1.3 3.9 0.0 0.0

Utah 69 100% 71.0 23.2 1.4 0.0 0.0 4.3

Washington 118 100% 66.1 8.5 6.8 4.2 0.8 13.6

Wyoming 1 : : : : : : :

/Not reported.

:Not calculated for jurisdictions reporting fewer than 10 deaths during 2003-2009.

a

The New City Police Department submits data independent of the State of New York and did not submit data 2009.

bArkansas and New Mexico cases identified by BJS staff in 2009; Georgia and Maryland cases identified by BJS staff in 2007, 2008, and 2009.

c

In 2008, detailed data were available for 2 of 8 records known to BJS.
10 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Table 11

Number of arresting agencies with at least one reported arrest-related death, by jurisdiction, 2003-2009

Region and jurisdiction

Number of agencies 

in the jurisdiction* 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Total 17,985 355 372 403 388 413 361 417

Northeast 3,152 40 50 50 48 46 55 49

Connecticut 143 0 4 4 4 3 5 9

Maine 146 3 1 2 3 3 5 3

Massachusetts 357 8 5 5 2 2 10 2

New Hampshire 208 1 2 2 2 1 1 1

New Jersey 550 6 13 10 6 11 7 11

New York 514 8 11 9 10 11 8 9

Pennsylvania 1,117 11 12 16 13 13 14 13

Rhode Island 48 2 2 1 5 2 5 0

Vermont 69 1 0 1 3 0 0 1

Midwest 5,572 77 80 78 68 80 61 86

Illinois 877 10 12 12 12 12 13 21

Indiana 482 8 6 6 5 6 7 2

Iowa 392 3 7 6 3 6 6 9

Kansas 371 5 4 6 7 3 3 5

Michigan 571 16 17 15 13 16 10 16

Minnesota 448 5 6 3 2 7 5 7

Missouri 576 4 3 2 2 1 3 3

Nebraska 225 4 1 1 1 1 2 /

North Dakota 114 3 2 2 0 0 0 0

Ohio 832 9 16 18 16 15 11 23

South Dakota 155 1 1 1 0 2 1 0

Wisconsin 529 9 5 6 7 11 / /

South 7,190 131 130 158 142 172 170 188

Alabama 417 2 0 5 2 4 4 9

Arkansas 367 / 0 1 3 1 0 1

Delaware 49 1 1 1 3 2 1 1

District of Columbia 4 1 1 1 1 1 / /

Florida 387 33 37 43 44 41 35 46

Georgia 628 / / / / 3 2 3

Kentucky 388 3 1 4 2 4 6 7

Louisiana 348 / 1 8 9 8 7 13

Maryland 142 / / / / 4 1 2

Mississippi 342 / 1 0 1 4 7 3

North Carolina 504 15 16 19 / 14 25 30

Oklahoma 481 12 11 3 / 2 11 5

South Carolina 272 6 3 10 13 9 7 8

Tennessee 375 / 0 3 3 7 3 6

Texas 1,913 50 42 48 47 53 46 39

Virginia 340 6 13 10 14 15 11 13

West Virginia 233 2 3 2 0 0 4 2

West 2,071 107 112 117 130 115 75 94

Alaska 50 0 1 2 1 2 3 1

Arizona 141 12 13 16 21 12 3 8

California 509 48 50 46 63 55 35 42

Colorado 246 9 9 11 8 4 1 8

Hawaii 7 0 2 2 2 1 3 1

Idaho 117 1 1 1 1 8 5 4

Montana 119 / / / / / / /

Nevada 76 2 / / / / 2 2

New Mexico 146 7 9 7 6 4 / 3

Oregon 174 9 9 9 8 7 8 7

Utah 136 5 9 6 6 9 6 12

Washington 260 13 9 17 14 13 9 6

Wyoming 90 1 / / / / / /

Note: Due to variation in reporting practices, caution should be used in comparing jurisdictions from year to year.

/Not reported.

*Includes local police departments, sheriff offices, primary state agencies, special police agencies, and constables/marshals as reported in the 2008 Census of State and 

Local Law Enforcement Agencies. See appendix table 6, Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2008, July 2011, www.bjs.gov.
November 2011 11

Table 12

Demographic characteristics of all reported arrests and 

persons who died in the process of arrest, 2003-2009

Demographic 

characteristics All arrestsa Persons who diedb

Total 100% 100%

Sex

Male 75.9% 95.4%

Female 24.1 4.5

Race/Hispanic origin

White 69.8% 42.1%

Black 27.8 31.8

Hispanicc ... 19.7

Otherd 2.4 3.1

Age

17 or younger 15.4% 2.6%

18-24 29.2 18.9

25-34 23.8 28.9

35-44 18.0 25.7

45-54 10.3 15.6

55 or older 3.2 6.6

Offense type

Violent 14.4% 59.8%

Property 17.4 6.4

Drug 12.6 6.4

Public order 28.2 14.5

Other 27.4 ~

No charges intended ~ 3.4

Unknown criminal 

behavior ~ 9.5

Number of arrests and 

deaths 97,954,000 4,813

Note: Detail does not sum to total due to missing data.

...Not available.

~Not applicable.

a

The total number of arrests and offense type, by demographic characteristics, 

was estimated nationally from data reported in table 29 in Crime in the United 

States (2003-2009). Arrests were estimated by applying the annual percents in 

tables 38, 42, and 43 to the annual estimated number of arrests and summed for 

all years and then converted into percentages.

bThe total number of arrest-related deaths apply to jurisdictions reporting to the 

program.

c

Table 43 in the FBI’s Crime in the United States presents data characterized by 

race, not ethnicity.

dIncludes American Indians, Alaska Natives, Asians, Native Hawaiians, other 

Pacific Islanders, and persons of two or more races.

 

 

Table 13

Reported arrest-related deaths, by incident circumstances, 

2003-2009

Incident circumstances Number Percent

All circumstances 4,813 100.0%

Violent offenses 2,878 59.8%

Homicide 233 4.8

Sexual assaulta 49 1.0

Robbery 255 5.3

Assault 2,184 45.4

Other violent 157 3.3

Property offenses 308 6.4%

Burglary 108 2.2

Larceny 43 0.9

Motor vehicle theft 49 1.0

Other propertyb 108 2.2

Drug offenses 307 6.4%

Public-order offenses 696 14.5%

Obstruction of justice 184 3.8

Weapons 95 2.0

Traffic violations, driving while 

intoxicated 151 3.1

Drunkenness, disorderly conduct 154 3.2

Other public-order 112 2.3

No criminal charges intended 163 3.4%

Mental health transport 89 1.8

Medical transport 28 0.6

Unspecified 46 1.0

Offense not reported 461 9.6% a

Includes rape and other sexual assault.

bIncludes arson and possession of stolen property.
12 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Table 14

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by incident circumstances and manner of death, 2003-2009

Incident circumstances All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

All circumstances 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Violent offenses 59.8% 75.3% 53.6% 27.2% 26.8% 25.4% 30.8%

Homicide 4.8 5.4 12.2 0.0 1.1 0.4 0.7

Sexual assaulta 1.0 0.9 3.3 0.2 0.0 0.8 0.4

Robbery 5.3 7.0 4.8 1.5 1.5 1.6 1.8

Assault 45.4 58.2 29.2 23.6 23.2 20.1 25.3

Other violent 3.3 3.7 4.1 1.9 1.1 2.5 2.6

Property offenses 6.4% 3.3% 8.5% 11.4% 12.9% 16.0% 10.6%

Burglary 2.2 1.3 3.0 4.4 4.0 3.3 4.8

Larceny 0.9 0.4 1.7 1.7 1.1 3.3 0.4

Motor vehicle theft 1.0 0.9 1.1 0.4 3.7 1.2 0.7

Other propertyb 2.2 0.8 2.8 5.0 4.0 8.2 4.8

Drug offenses 6.4% 2.7% 4.1% 20.2% 16.2% 11.9% 9.2%

Public-order offenses 14.5% 7.9% 21.8% 24.2% 32.0% 33.6% 17.6%

Obstruction of justice 3.8 2.3 4.4 5.7 12.9 3.3 7.3

Wapons 2.0 2.4 2.6 0.8 0.4 1.6 0.4

Traffic violations, driving while intoxicated 3.1 1.1 6.3 5.1 9.9 11.5 0.7

Drunkenness, disorderly conduct 3.2 0.7 4.4 10.3 4.4 11.1 6.2

Other public-order 2.3 1.5 4.1 2.3 4.4 6.1 2.9

No criminal charges intended 3.4% 1.6% 5.0% 9.0% 1.5% 7.4% 7.3%

Mental health transport 1.8 0.7 3.1 4.4 1.5 3.7 5.1

Medical transport 0.6 0.1 1.3 2.7 0.0 0.8 0.7

Unspecified 1.0 0.7 0.6 1.9 0.0 2.9 1.5

Offense not reported 9.6% 9.2% 7.0% 8.0% 10.7% 5.7% 24.5%

Number of deaths 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

Note: Detail may not sum to totals due to rounding.

a

Includes rape and other sexual assault.

bIncludes arson and possession of stolen property.

Table 15

Number of law enforcement agencies, full-time sworn personnel, and reported arrest-related deaths, by agency 

characteristics, 2003-2009

Law enforcement agencies Full-time sworn personnel Arrest-related deaths

Characteristics of agencies Numbera Percentb Numbera Percentb Numberc Percent

Total 17,985 100.0% 765,246 100.0% 4,813 100.0%

Type of agency involved in arrest

Local police department 12,501 69.5% 461,063 60.3% 3,529 73.3%

Sheriff’s office 3,063 17.0 182,979 23.9 946 19.7

State police/highway patrol 50 0.3 60,772 7.9 273 5.7

Special jurisdiction police 1,733 9.6 56,968 7.4 44 0.9

Constables 638 3.5 3,464 0.5 10 0.2

Number of full-time sworn personnel employed 

 by the agency involved

1–9 8,796 48.9% 34,497 4.5% 117 2.4%

10–24 4,300 23.9 67,132 8.8 248 5.2

25–49 2,402 13.4 83,349 10.9 355 7.4

50–99 1,300 7.2 89,999 11.8 458 9.5

100–249 778 4.3 115,535 15.1 694 14.4

250–499 237 1.3 83,851 11.0 610 12.7

500–999 89 0.5 60,124 7.9 466 9.7

1,000 or more 83 0.5 230,759 30.2 1,843 38.3

Note: In cases involving multiple arresting agencies, only the characteristics of the primary agency are reported. 

a

Based on the 2008 Census of State and Local Law Enforcement Agencies. Excludes agencies employing less than one full-time officer. 

bDetail may not sum to total due to rounding.

c

Detail does not sum to total due to missing data. Excludes 11 deaths in which type of agency was unknown and 22 deaths in which the number of full-time sworn 

personnel employed by the agency involved was unknown.
November 2011 13

Table 16

Number of reported arrest-related deaths, by characteristics of the law enforcement agency involved and manner of death, 

2003-2009

Characteristics of agencies All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

All reported deaths 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

Type of agency involved in arrest

Local police department 3,529 2,164 369 425 194 187 190

Sheriff’s office 946 583 124 78 52 38 71

State police/highway patrol 273 174 43 17 21 8 10

Special jurisdiction police 44 28 1 3 4 7 1

Constables 10 6 0 1 1 1 1

Unknown 11 3 4 1 0 3 0

Number of full-time sworn personnel 

employed by the agency involved

1–9 117 57 24 14 7 10 5

10–24 248 134 55 27 10 12 10

25–49 355 204 61 31 21 26 12

50–99 458 253 73 53 29 18 32

100–249 694 427 64 83 38 37 45

250–499 610 399 49 64 34 26 38

500–999 466 299 43 44 32 18 30

1,000 or more 1,843 1,176 168 208 100 90 101

Unknown 22 9 4 1 1 7 0

Note: In cases involving multiple arresting agencies, only the characteristics of the primary agency are reported.

Table 17

Percent of reported arrest-related deaths, by characteristics of the law enforcement agency involved and manner of death, 

2003-2009

Characteristics of agencies All manners Homicide Suicide Intoxication Accident Natural causes Unknown

All reported deaths 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0% 100.0%

Type of agency involved in arrest

Local police department 73.3% 73.2% 68.2% 81.0% 71.3% 76.6% 69.6%

Sheriff’s office 19.7 19.7 22.9 14.9 19.1 15.6 26.0

State police/highway patrol 5.7 5.9 7.9 3.2 7.7 3.3 3.7

Special jurisdiction police 0.9 0.9 0.2 0.6 1.5 2.9 0.4

Constables 0.2 0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.4 0.4

Unknown 0.2 0.1 0.7 0.2 0.0 1.2 0.0

Number of full-time sworn personnel 

employed by the agency involved

1–9 2.4% 1.9% 4.4% 2.7% 2.6% 4.1% 1.8%

10–24 5.2 4.5 10.2 5.1 3.7 4.9 3.7

25–49 7.4 6.9 11.3 5.9 7.7 10.7 4.4

50–99 9.5 8.6 13.5 10.1 10.7 7.4 11.7

100–249 14.4 14.4 11.8 15.8 14.0 15.2 16.5

250–499 12.7 13.5 9.1 12.2 12.5 10.7 13.9

500–999 9.7 10.1 7.9 8.4 11.8 7.4 11.0

1,000 or more 38.3 39.8 31.1 39.6 36.8 36.9 37.0

Unknown 0.5 0.3 0.7 0.2 0.4 2.9 0.0

Number of deaths 4,813 2,958 541 525 272 244 273

Note: In cases involving multiple arresting agencies, only the characteristics of the primary agency are reported. 
14 Arrest-Related Deaths, 2003-2009 - Statistical Tables 

Methodology

The Arrest-Related Deaths (ARD) data collection cycle 

begins January 1 and ends December 31 of the calendar 

year. State Reporting Coordinators (SRC) assist the Bureau 

of Justice Statistics (BJS) in collecting information regarding 

arrest-related deaths. The role of each SRC is to identify 

deaths reportable to the ARD program, compile information 

from valid sources regarding the circumstances related to 

the death, complete CJ-11 and CJ-11A data collection forms 

(http://www.bjs.gov), and submit data to BJS quarterly or 

annually. Annual data are available from 2003 through 2009 

in aggregate form. All information identifying individual 

decedents is kept confidential.

Defining deaths “in the process of arrest”

Although the Deaths in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 

(DICRA), Public Law 106-297, mandated that all in custody 

deaths be counted, the legislation did not specify the 

meaning of the phrase “in the process of arrest.” BJS staff 

consulted with the International Association of Chiefs of 

Police (IACP), the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), and 

criminal justice researchers to identify which circumstances 

involved an arrest process. For this data collection, BJS 

defines “in the process of arrest” to include all circumstances 

in which a person is in the custody or under the restraint of 

law enforcement officers. This definition includes situations 

in which a formal arrest process was neither initiated nor 

intended. It includes instances in which law enforcement 

personnel actively pursues or attempts to apprehend a 

criminal suspect, regardless of whether physical custody 

was established. In addition, it includes deaths that involved 

law enforcement assistance in restraining and transporting 

individuals in need of medical or mental health care.

Exclusions

Deaths that occurred in a jail or other long-term holding 

facility and deaths that occurred in the custody of federal 

law enforcement officers were outside the scope of the 

ARD program and excluded from the analysis. All records 

submitted to the ARD program were cross-referenced with 

records submitted to BJS’s Deaths in Custody Reporting 

Program - Jails collection in order to ensure cases were not 

duplicated across collections. If the death was recorded in 

both collections, the Jails component took priority and the 

record was removed from the ARD collection. The DICRA 

did not apply to federal law enforcement agencies. Deaths 

occurring in the presence of officers from federal agencies 

(i.e., FBI, DEA, or Marshals Service) were only reportable 

to the ARD program if an officer from either a state or local 

law enforcement agency was also present during the event 

causing the death. Arrest-related deaths that did not involve 

either a state or local law enforcement agency were excluded 

from the collection. 

Role of State Reporting Coordinators

Participation in the ARD program is voluntary. SRCs may 

select any methodology—or a combination of approaches—

that achieves a reliable measure of arrest-related deaths. 

Some methods for identifying arrest-related deaths include 

surveying all police departments in the state, surveying 

all county medical examiners or coroner’s offices in the 

state, extracting data from other collections (i.e., FBI’s 

Uniform Crime Reports and CDC’s National Violent Death 

Reporting System), and conducting multi-media searches. 

BJS recommends SRCs do not solely rely on a system of 

voluntary self-reporting by state and local law enforcement 

agencies.

Once a reportable death is identified, the SRC is responsible 

for obtaining information regarding the death and 

completing an arrest-related death incident report (CJ11A). Most SRCs use multiple data sources to compile 

information required to complete the CJ-11A incident 

reports. A survey of SRCs conducted in 2007 indicated that 

of the 47 states participating in the ARD program at some 

point between 2003 and 2006, 42 used multiple sources to 

obtain information on arrest-related deaths, while 30 states 

reported at least 3 different sources of data.

State and local law enforcement agencies were the most 

common source of data used by SRCs. Law enforcement 

agencies voluntarily reported arrest-related deaths to 40 data 

providers. In California and Texas, law enforcement agencies 

were required by state law to submit arrest-related deaths. 

The SRCs were asked to work with the law enforcement 

agency involved in the death to collect the information 

requested on the CJ-11A form. In instances where the law 

enforcement agency involved in the death did not complete 

the CJ-11A form, the SRC was asked to obtain information 

from official source documents (such as a police report or 

death certificate) or indirectly through oral communication, 

press releases from the involved law enforcement agency or 

medical office, legal proceedings, or other vetted sources of 

information. Media accounts of the event and death were 

not considered sources of official information. 

Appendix Table 1

Agencies reporting arrest-related death records, 2006 

Agencies Number of agencies

All data providers 48 

State criminal justice commission 22 

State attorney general 8 

State police/highway patrol 8 

State department of correction 5 

State medical examiner 3 

State department of public safety 1 

State office of financial management 1 
November 2011 15

Appendix table 2 

States not reporting arrest-related deaths in all years, 2003–2009

Region and jurisdiction 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Arkansas /     / /

District of Columbia      / /

Georgia / / / / / / /

Louisiana /      

Maryland / / / / / / /

Mississippi /      

Montana / / / / / / /

Nebraska       /

Nevada  / / / /  

New Mexico      / /

New York*       

North Carolina    /   

Oklahoma    /   

Tennessee /      

Wisconsin      / /

Wyoming  / / / / / /

Reported.

/Not reported.

*The New York City Police Department did not submit data to the State of New York in 2009.

Subsequently, SRCs were discouraged from using media 

accounts of the event as their primary source of information 

when completing the CJ-11A form. In the event that the 

SRC could not obtain information from any other source, 

BJS authorized the use of media accounts to supplement 

incomplete CJ-11A forms.

Program Coverage

The ARD program was initiated in order to comply with 

requirements set forth in the DICRA. The legislation 

required the U.S Department of Justice to begin a quarterly 

collection of individual death records for all persons 

incarcerated in local jails, state prisons, juvenile correctional 

facilities, as well as “any person who is in the process of 

arrest.” Since the expiration of the DICRA legislation in 

2006, BJS has continued to collect ARD data, but no longer 

requires quarterly submissions.

As the statistical agency for the Justice Department, BJS 

began implementing the ARD data collection in 2003. 

When the DICRA was enacted, only California and Texas 

(each pursuant to state law) conducted a statewide count 

of all arrest-related deaths. In the remaining 48 states and 

the District of Columbia, the ARD program was the first 

attempt to perform a comprehensive count of all deaths 

occurring during the process of arrest. The attorneys general 

of California and Texas agreed to complete statewide reports 

of arrest-related deaths for submission to BJS. In all other 

jurisdictions, BJS worked with state officials to determine 

which agency would collect arrest-related death reports.

During reporting year 2006, a state criminal justice 

commission, commonly administered by the governor’s 

office was the most common data reporting contact (22 

states), followed by the state attorney general and state 

police department (8 states each) (see appendix table 1). In 

five states, the department of corrections took a lead role in 

compiling records. In over 30 states, the reporting office also 

served as a state criminal justice Statistical Analysis Center 

(SAC).

While every state identified a data provider, three states—

Georgia, Maryland, and Montana—did not submit records 

during the 2003-2009 collection periods. Forty-seven states 

and the District of Columbia participated in the collection 

at some point, but the participation of some states varied by 

year. (See appendix table 2 for a summary of state reporting 

participation.) Although a jurisdiction may not have 

participated in the ARD program in a given year, arrestrelated deaths may have been identified and reported by BJS 

staff. 

In an effort to increase the ARD program’s national coverage, 

BJS began exploring the use of internet-based searches to 

retrospectively identify arrest-related deaths occurring 

from 2007 through 2009. BJS staff conducted online media 

searches based on 12 key terms and identified websites 

dedicated to either in-custody deaths or deaths associated 

with the usage of specific weapons, such as conductive 

energy devices. Once an arrest-related death was identified, 

all available information was sent to the appropriate SRC for 

verification and follow-up. The SRC was asked to complete 

a CJ-11A form using official source documents and then 

return the form to BJS.

More detailed information is available at www.bjs.gov.
U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Washington, DC 20531

Official Business

Penalty for Private Use $300

PRESORTED STANDARD

POSTAGE & FEES PAID

DOJ/BJS

Permit No. G-91

Office of Justice Programs • Innovation • Partnerships • Safer Neighborhoods • http://www.ojp.gov

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is the statistical agency of the 

U.S. Department of Justice. James P. Lynch is director.

These Statistical Tables were prepared by Andrea M. Burch. 

Jessica Rexroat verified the report.

Morgan Young and Jill Thomas edited the report, Barbara 

Quinn and Tina Dorsey produced the report, and Jayne 

Robinson prepared the report for final printing under the 

supervision of Doris J. James.

November 2011, NCJ 235385

The full text of each report is available in PDF and ASCII 

formats on the BJS website at www.bjs.gov.  Tables are also 

available in PDF and CSV formats. Related datasets are 

made available on the National Archive of Criminal Justice 

Data website at http://www.icpsr.umich.edu/icpsrweb/

NACJD/index.jsp.

NCJ235385