U.S. Department of Justice

Office of Justice Programs

Bureau of Justice Statistics

Special Report

October 2007, NCJ 219534

Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 

2003-2005

By Christopher J. Mumola

BJS Policy Analyst

During the 3-year period from 2003 to 2005, 47 States and 

the District of Columbia reported 2,002 arrest-related 

deaths to the Bureau of Justice Statistics’ (BJS) Deaths in 

Custody Reporting Program (DCRP). The DCRP counts 

represent the first national measurement of all types of 

deaths that occurred in the process of arrest. The collection 

of these counts was mandated by the federal Death in 

Custody Reporting Act (Public Law 106-297). 

All States were required under the act to submit a record of 

any death that occurred “in the process of arrest” as a 

condition of receiving federal correctional grants. The DCRP 

collection was the first time most States made a comprehensive count of these deaths. California and Texas were 

the only States that compiled data on all arrest-related 

deaths before the collection began. Three States — Georgia, Maryland, and Montana — never reported counts of 

arrest-related deaths to DCRP. Federal agencies were not 

required by the act to report these deaths.

BJS worked with States to determine a contact to report 

information on arrest-related deaths and to develop a 

questionnaire to collect uniform data from all States. The 

governor’s crime commission (22 States) was the most 

common reporting office, followed by the State attorney 

general and the State police (8 States each). 

State contacts relied on a wide range of data sources to 

complete the DCRP questionnaire. Forty-two of the 47 

States that reported data used more than 1 source, and 30 

States used at least 3 data sources. The most common 

source of information was the law enforcement agency 

involved in the death (43 States). 

Homicides by law enforcement officers made up 55% of 

all deaths during arrests by State and local agencies

In each year between 2003 and 2005, homicides accounted 

for a majority of all reported arrest-related deaths. During 

this period, States reported 1,106 arrest-related homicides 

which represented 55% of arrest-related deaths from all 

causes. Homicides by law enforcement officers accounted 

for 1,095 arrest-related deaths, and 11 homicides were 

committed by other persons present at the scene.

Homicide was reported four times more often than any other 

cause of death. Drug and alcohol intoxication accounted for 

13% of all deaths, followed by suicides (12%), accidental 

injuries (7%), and illness or natural causes (6%). For 157 

deaths (8%) a definitive cause was not reported. 

FBI and BJS counts of homicides by law enforcement 

were similar in most States

Homicides by law enforcement are the only type of arrestrelated deaths measured by another national statistical program — the Supplementary Homicide Reports (SHR) collected by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The 

SHR and DCRP measures of homicides by law enforcement have one important difference. The SHR program 

includes only counts of homicides by law enforcement in 

which the use of force was ruled “justifiable.” Deaths due to 

unjustified use of lethal force by officers are counted with 

Data sources on arrest-related deaths Number of states

Local law enforcement agencies 43

Media accounts 30

Coroners/medical examiners 23

State police/highway patrol 19

Uniform Crime Report State contacts 9

Attorneys general/prosecutors 6

Other sources 7

Note: See Methodology for more details. 

Arrest-related deaths, by cause of death, 2003-2005

Number of arrest-related deaths Percent, 

Cause of death 2003-05 2005 2004 2003 2003-05

All causes 2,002 703 677 622 100%

Homicide —

by law enforcement 1,095 364 365 366 54.7%

by other persons 11 4 4 3 0.5

Intoxication 252 90 81 81 12.6

Suicide 234 91 87 56 11.7

Accidental injury 140 47 41 52 7.0

Illness/natural causes 113 38 49 26 5.6

Other/unknown 157 69 50 38 7.8

Note: See Methodology for information on missing data by State for 

each reporting year.
2 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

other murders. The DCRP counts of homicides by law 

enforcement include all deaths that resulted from the use of 

lethal force. 

In most States, the SHR and DCRP counts of law 

enforcement homicides showed small differences. In 33 

States, the 2 measures differed by fewer than 10 deaths 

over the 3 years. Nine States reported counts that differed 

by at least 20 deaths over this period, with 5 States 

reporting higher counts to DCRP. California had the largest 

measurement variation, reporting 354 homicides by law 

enforcement to SHR between 2003 and 2005, but less than 

half as many (160) to DCRP. Over the same period, Florida 

reported 98 law enforcement homicides to DCRP but did 

not report to SHR.

In the aggregate, the two programs collected very similar 

counts between 2003 and 2005. A total of 1,095 law 

enforcement homicides were reported to DCRP, and 1,082 

justifiable homicides by police were reported to SHR. Taking 

the higher count reported by each State for each year, there 

were a total of 1,489 reported law enforcement homicides. 

BJS and FBI law enforcement homicides had similar 

characteristics

Analysis of the characteristics of the deaths in the two data 

collections also revealed similarities. Across both programs 

nearly all of the decedents were male, the average age was 

33 years old, and over 80% were killed by a handgun. 

Arrests for violent crimes were involved in 3 of every 4 

law enforcement homicides 

Three-quarters of the law enforcement homicides reported 

to DCRP involved arrests for a violent crime. Except for suicides (51%), violent offenders were involved in less than 

30% of all other causes of death. Public-order offenders 

accounted for 8% of homicides, followed by property (4%) 

and drug offenders (2%). In 2% of cases, law enforcement 

personnel did not intend to charge the person, but took 

them into custody for reasons such as medical or mental 

health needs. Criminal charges were not reported for 8% of 

law enforcement homicides.

Among all persons killed by law enforcement officers in the 

process of arrest, 9% would have been charged with the 

murder or attempted murder of a law enforcement officer, 

17% would have been arrested for assaulting an officer, and 

2% would have been charged with obstruction of police 

activity or resisting arrest. 

80% of law enforcement homicides involved the use of 

a weapon by the arrest subject, 96% involved the use of 

a firearm by officers

State respondents reported a number of circumstances surrounding each arrest-related death, including a variety of 

behaviors by the arrest subjects and officers. In 80% of the 

law enforcement homicides, the deceased reportedly used 

a weapon “to threaten or assault” the arresting officers. In 

17% of the homicides, the arrest subject grabbed, hit or 

fought with the arresting officers.

Few homicides by law enforcement involved persons who 

appeared intoxicated during the attempted arrest (18%). A 

third (36%) of persons killed by officers attempted to escape 

or flee from custody. About 4% of persons killed by police 

had been placed under physical restraints during the 

attempted arrest.

Nearly all law enforcement homicides (96%) involved the 

use of firearms by officers. Handguns were used by officers 

in 84% of the homicides, and rifles and shotguns in 17%. 

Three deaths were caused by an officer’s use of a nightstick, baton, or conducted-energy device such as a taser or 

stun gun. No weapons were reportedly used in 3% of law 

enforcement homicides. 

States

Number of law enforcement homicides, 

2003-2005

DCRP SHR

Reporting 

difference

California 160 354 194

Florida 98 / 98

Maryland / 41 41

Ohio 48 11 37

Texas 116 84 32

Michigan 48 22 26

Oregon 36 13 23

New Jersey 19 42 23

Louisiana 7 29 22

Note: See Appendix table 3 for State counts by program.

/Not reported.

Law enforcement homicides, 

2003-2005

Characteristics DCRP SHR

Male 97% 97%

Black* 30% 32%

Mean age 33yrs. 33yrs.

Killed by handgun 84% 85%

*Black Hispanics are excluded from the DCRP percentage, and included in the SHR percentage.

Percent of deaths involving arrests for violent crimes 

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

Suicide

All other

 causes

Homicide

enforcement by law

Note: See appendix table 6 for offense data, by cause of death.
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 3

Half of all homicides by law enforcement involved large 

departments with at least 500 sworn officers

According to the 2004 Census of State and Local Law 

Enforcement Agencies, 168 of the Nation’s 17,876 law 

enforcement agencies employed at least 500 full-time 

sworn officers. These large law enforcement agencies 

employed 39% of all sworn officers, but were involved in 

half (50%) of all homicides by law enforcement officers 

reported to DCRP during 2003 through 2005.

Most arrest-related homicides involved local police departments (74%), followed by county sheriffs’ offices (19%) and 

State police or highway patrol agencies (6%). Special jurisdiction agencies, such as campus police, transit police 

authorities or park police departments, were involved in 1% 

of such homicides.

Deaths from alcohol or drug intoxication were least 

likely to involve arrests for violent crimes

After homicide, deaths from alcohol or drug intoxication 

were the second most common type of arrest-related 

deaths (13%).* Intoxication deaths differed from other 

arrest-related deaths on several characteristics:

• Arrest subjects under age 25 made up a smaller share of 

intoxication deaths (13%) than homicide (28%), accidental 

(25%), or suicide (20%) deaths.

• Whites were involved in 33% of intoxication deaths, the 

lowest percentage of whites among all causes of death.

• Intoxication deaths were less likely to involve violent 

offenders (28%) than any other cause of death. 

Despite the low percentage of violent offenders overall, 

assault (23%) was the most common criminal offense 

involved in intoxication deaths. Persons arrested for substance abuse-related offenses — such as drug law violations (19%), disorderly conduct including drunkenness 

(12%), and driving while intoxicated (1%) — combined for a 

third of all intoxication deaths. Persons with no criminal 

charges made up a larger share of intoxication deaths (9%) 

than any other cause. (See Appendix tables 4 and 6 for 

details on characteristics and offenses by cause of death.)

*Excludes cases in which an arrest subject swallowed packets of drugs for 

concealment purposes (classified as “accidental injury”).

State and local law 

enforcement agencies, 

by number of sworn officers

Percent

State and local law 

enforcement officers

Homicides by law 

enforcement officers

Fewer than 100 36% 24%

100-499 25 26

500 or more 39 50

Note: Data on full-time sworn officers taken from the Census of State and 

Local Law Enforcement Agencies, 2004, available at <http://

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/csllea04.htm>.

During 2003-2005, 380 law enforcement officers were killed, and nearly 175,000 assaulted

According to the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed 

and Assaulted (LEOKA) data, 380 law enforcement 

officers nationwide were killed in the line of duty 

between 2003 and 2005. Fewer than half (159) of these 

deaths were homicides. Accidental deaths during 

arrests (221) accounted for the majority of officer deaths 

in the line of duty. 

Analysis of DCRP records indicates that assaults on 

officers and the use of weapons by arrest subjects were 

common circumstances in homicides by law 

enforcement officers. However, FBI data suggest that 

assaults on law enforcement officers do not lead to 

arrest fatalities in most cases. The number of persons 

killed by officers in the process of arrest from 2003 to 

2005 (1,095) was less than 1% of all reported assaults 

on law enforcement officers (174,760) over the same 

period.

Number of deaths 

2003-2005 2005 2004 2003

Law enforcement officersa

Killed 380 117 133 130

Feloniously 159 53 54 52

Accidentally 221 64 79 78

Assaulted 174,760 57,546 59,373 57,841

Arresteesb

Deaths 2,002 703 677 622

Homicide by law enforcement 1,095 364 365 366

Accidental 140 47 41 52

aFederal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and 

Assaulted (LEOKA) data. See <http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2005/>.

bBureau of Justice Statistics’ Deaths in Custody Reporting Program 

(DCRP) data.
4 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

In half of intoxication deaths at booking centers or 

police stations, arrestees were not visibly intoxicated

Of the 252 arrest-related intoxication deaths, 198 occurred 

in the field, prior to booking the arrest subject. In 75% of the 

pre-booking intoxication deaths, the deceased appeared 

intoxicated to the arresting officers. Over 80% of the prebooking intoxication deaths took place either at a medical 

facility or en route to a medical facility, indicating that some 

of the subjects who did not appear intoxicated were still provided medical care for other reasons.

Among the 50 intoxication deaths that took place at a police 

station or booking center, half (51%) were visibly intoxicated 

at the time of booking. The percentages who were booked 

with visible medical (18%) or mental health problems (2%) 

were much smaller. Overall, in a third of cases where arrest 

subjects died from intoxication after booking, the deceased 

showed no apparent signs of intoxication, mental health 

problems, or medical problems at time of the booking. (See 

appendix table 8 for details.) In 4 cases, the location of the 

intoxication death was not reported.

In 62% of intoxication deaths, the deceased resisted 

arrest, without force or weapons in most cases

Among intoxication deaths that took place in the field prior 

to booking, 62% of the persons resisted arrest. According to 

several measures, these actions were usually less violent 

and involved weapons less often than in deaths due to 

homicides by law enforcement.

Percent of arrest-related deaths

Arrestee characteristic Intoxication

Homicide by 

law enforcement

Most serious offense*

Murder of a law enforcement officer 0% 9%

Assault of a law enforcement officer 8 17

Behavior at arrest scene

Threatened officers 20% 63%

Used weapon to threaten/assault 

officers 4 80

*Includes attempted offenses.

Increasing number of arrest-related deaths involved the use of tasers or other conducted-energy devices

Conducted-energy devices (CEDs), such as stun 

guns or tasers, were involved in 36 arrest-related 

deaths reported to DCRP during 2003 through 2005. 

In about half of these deaths (17), the CED was 

reported as the weapon that caused the death. In the 

remaining 19 deaths, the use of a CED was indicated, 

but it was not reported as the cause of the death*. 

The involvement of CEDs in arrest-related deaths 

increased from 3 deaths in 2003 to 24 in 2005. 

Every type of arrest-related death was reported 

among the 36 deaths involving the use of CEDs. The 

most common cause of death was intoxication (10), 

followed by accidents (8), and homicides by law 

enforcement (7). One death was attributed to illness 

and another death was a suicide. In 9 cases where 

CED-use was reported, a cause of death could not be 

determined.

Arrests for violent crimes were involved in 16 of the 

CED-involved deaths, and 8 deaths involved property 

crimes. In two cases, the deceased was detained for 

mental health care, and in five cases no information 

on criminal offense was reported. 

*Among medical and law enforcement experts, the ability of CEDs 

to cause a death is a subject of debate. Due to reporting gaps, 

these 36 cases do not represent a complete count of all deaths in 

which the use of a CED was involved.

Characteristics

Number of arrest-related 

deaths involving the use of 

conducted energy devices, 

2003-2005

Total 36

Year

2003 3

2004 9

2005 24

Cause of death

Homicide by law enforcement 7

Intoxication 10

Suicide 1

Accidental injury 8

Illness 1

Other/unknown 9

Most serious offense

Violent 16

Property 8

Drug 2

Public-order 3

No criminal charges intended 2

Offense not reported 5
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 5

Higher percentages of violent offenders, whites 

involved in arrest-related suicides 

Suicide accounted for nearly as many arrest-related deaths 

(234) as intoxication (252). Reports of suicides also 

increased 63% from 2003 (56) to 2005 (91). 

Other than homicides (74%), suicides were the only type of 

arrest-related death to involve arrests for violent crimes in 

most cases (51%). Suicide was the only type of death in 

which a majority (57%) of the decedents were white. This 

finding is consistent with the higher suicide rates observed 

for white prison and jail inmates in other DCRP collections 

(see Suicide and Homicide in State Prisons and Local Jails

<http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/shsplj.htm>).

Two-thirds (67%) of arrest-related suicides occurred at the 

scene of the attempted arrest, while the remainder took 

place at a police station or booking facility. In terms of their 

personal characteristics, the arrest subjects who committed 

suicide in these two settings showed many similarities. 

Arrest-related suicides in the field differed sharply from 

those in police stations or booking centers

The circumstances of the suicides showed sharp 

differences based on the setting of the events. Suicides that 

took place at the scene of the attempted arrest were more 

likely to involve large law enforcement agencies and 

typically involved firearms. Suicides that took place at a 

police station or in a booking center were more likely to 

involve small law enforcement agencies and almost 

exclusively involved hanging. Suicides that took place after 

booking also involved a higher percentage of arrest subjects 

who were visibly intoxicated. 

Methodology

The Death in Custody Reporting Act of 2000 (Public Law 

106-297) required the U.S. Department of Justice to begin a 

quarterly collection of individual death records for all persons incarcerated in State or local correctional facilities, as 

well as “any person who is in the process of arrest.” The act 

linked eligibility for funds under the Violent Offender Incarceration and Truth In Sentencing (VOI/TIS) grant programs 

to reporting death records to the Attorney General. At the 

time the law was enacted, all 50 States and the District of 

Columbia participated in the VOI/TIS grant programs. The 

act did not apply to Federal law enforcement agencies or 

the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

BJS was tasked with implementing the act and phased in 

data collection activity over a 4-year period. Collection of 

death records from local jail facilities began in 2000, followed by a separate collection from State prison authorities 

in 2001. In 2002 BJS began collecting death records from 

all State juvenile correctional systems. The collection of 

arrest-related records began in 2003. These four data collections make up the Deaths in Custody Reporting Program 

(DCRP).

Identifying State-level data providers

In developing the collection of arrest-related death records, 

BJS staff contacted multiple offices in each State to determine the appropriate reporting contact. While each State 

was required to report these death records as a condition of 

eligibility for VOI/TIS grant funds, the grants were awarded 

to State departments of correction. In developing the collection, BJS did not find any State correctional authorities that 

collected information on the operations of law enforcement 

agencies in their State. 

At the time the Death in Custody Reporting Act was passed, 

only two States (California and Texas) collected information 

on all types of arrest-related deaths. For the remaining 48 

States and the District of Columbia, the new DCRP collection was the first attempt to perform a comprehensive count 

of all arrest-related deaths.

In California and Texas, State statutes required the reporting 

of all arrest-related deaths to the State Attorney General’s 

office. These offices 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. 

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). In five 

States, the department of corrections took a lead role in 

compiling records because of the VOI/TIS grant funding. In 

over 30 States, the reporting office also served as a State 

criminal justice Statistical Analysis Center (SAC).

Percent of arrest-related suicides

Arrestee characteristic At arrest scene

At police station/

booking center

Male 98% 88%

White, non-Hispanic 58 54

Mean age 37yrs. 34yrs.

Number of deaths, 2003-2005 156 76

Circumstances

Percent of arrest-related suicides

At arrest scene

At police station/

booking center

Arrest agency, number of 

full-time sworn officers

Fewer than 100 33% 66%

100-499 22 18

500 or more 45 16

Arrestee appeared intoxicated 12% 31%

Means of suicide

Firearm 85% 3%

Hanging 2 96

Number of deaths, 2003-2005 156 76
6 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

While every State identified a data provider, three States — 

Georgia, Maryland, and Montana — never submitted 

records. Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Tennessee 

began participating in 2004, and Nevada and Wyoming 

stopped participating in 2004. A total of 43 States participated in 2003, and 45 States participated in both 2004 and 

2005. The District of Columbia submitted records in all 3 

years. 

Many of the arrest-related deaths undergo lengthy investigations by prosecutors, police departments, and coroner’s 

offices to determine a cause of death or decide a legal disposition of the case. It took up to 15 months to finalize 

cause of death information for some cases. Multiple contacts were made to the State data providers to complete 

missing items and receive a final cause of death.

Data sources for State reporters

Regardless of which State office ultimately took the lead in 

compiling the death records, most States utilized multiple 

data sources in this effort. Of the 47 States that participated 

at some point, 42 used multiple sources of information on 

arrest-related deaths, while 30 states reported at least 3 different sources of data. (See Appendix table 1 for a detailed 

listing of reporting methods used by each State.)

State and local law enforcement agencies were the most 

common source of data used by State reporters. 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 death records. The Metropolitan Police 

Department was the only source of arrest-related data for 

the District of Columbia.

Thirty States used media searches to identify arrest-related 

deaths and followed up with a data request to the law 

enforcement agency involved in the incident. In some cases 

when the agency did not respond to this information 

request, the State contact used the media accounts of the 

death to complete the DCRP questionnaire. Twenty-three 

States involved county coroners or the State medical examiner’s office in compiling these records, and 19 States 

involved the State police. Nine States used their Uniform 

Crime Reporting office, and 6 States collected information 

from prosecutors’ offices. Seven States used other 

resources or agencies in compiling these reports. 

Defining deaths “in the process of arrest”

BJS had to define the term “in the process of arrest,” specified in the Death in Custody Reporting Act (PL 106-297). 

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.”

All deaths of persons in the physical custody or under the 

physical restraint of law enforcement officers were included. 

This resulted in the reporting of 75 deaths over three years 

in which no criminal charges were involved. Law enforcement responses to people exhibiting mental health problems accounted for 44 of these cases, while another 9 

cases involved persons who had to be restrained by police 

for medical transportation. In another 22 cases, the reason 

for law enforcement involvement was not specified, but the 

record indicated that no criminal charges were involved. 

The deaths of any other persons not subject to an 

attempted arrest were excluded, including bystanders and 

law enforcement officers killed during an attempted arrest.

State contacts were instructed to include all deaths resulting 

from use of force by law enforcement officers. Arrest-related 

suicides were also included in this collection, provided that 

law enforcement officers were in some type of contact with 

the arrest subject prior to the suicide. For example, if an 

armed suspect was surrounded by officers and chose to 

take his own life rather than surrender, the death would be 

included. However, if an offender was actively sought by 

police but committed suicide before the police located him, 

the death would be excluded. The reason for the exclusion 

is that no officers were present at the time of death to 

attempt an arrest.

Vehicular accident deaths that were not specifically related 

to arrest activities were excluded from the collection. States 

were instructed to include vehicular accident deaths only 

when law enforcement officers actively took some role in 

causing the accident during an arrest attempt. This included 

shooting at the vehicle or driver or forcing the vehicle off the 

road with a police vehicle or other obstructions (such as a 

spike strip to blow out tires or a roadblock). All other vehicular deaths were excluded. 

States were also instructed to disregard whether an arrest 

warrant had been issued. Because officers frequently make 

arrests in response to unexpected events, requiring an 

arrest warrant would leave many arrest-related deaths unreported. Likewise, States were told to exclude the deaths of 

persons who had arrest warrants issued against them that 

went unenforced. For example, if an offender had a bench 

warrant issued for their arrest, but later died before any 

officers attempted to enforce this arrest warrant, the State 

was told to exclude that record. In such cases, the arrest 

warrant indicated an administrative criminal justice status 

and not an attempt to bring the subject into custody.

Deaths of arrestees were subject to the data collection from 

the time police encountered them in the field until the time 

Agencies reporting DCRP 

arrest-related death records 

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
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 7

they were booked into a local jail facility. This included 

deaths of arrest subjects who died at medical facilities due 

to injuries or medical problems, as well as any persons who 

died in transit from an arrest scene in a police vehicle or 

ambulance. All deaths in jails are reported to BJS under a 

separate DCRP collection with different questionnaires. 

Once records of arrest-related deaths were submitted to 

BJS, the forms were reviewed to ensure that each case met 

the established guidelines. Deaths were checked against 

the DCRP database of jail facility deaths for the same year 

to avoid double-counting. BJS staff and the State contacts 

routinely discussed and resolved cases that were ambiguous or appeared to involve circumstances that would 

exclude them from the collection. 

Arrest-related deaths from the Supplementary Homicide 

Reports

While DCRP is the only national statistical program that 

measures all types of arrest-related deaths, two other 

national programs measure law enforcement homicides. 

Law enforcement agencies can submit Supplementary 

Homicide Reports (SHR) as part of the FBI’s Uniform Crime 

Reporting (UCR) program. The Centers for Disease Control 

and Prevention’s National Center for Health Statistics 

(NCHS) also compiles mortality statistics, including a category for law enforcement homicides. The SHR records 

include basic data on the type of homicide, the relationship 

between the deceased and assailant, and demographic 

characteristics of the deceased. Law enforcement agencies 

describe the event as a “justifiable homicide by police.” 

During the 3 years covered by this report, Florida and the 

District of Columbia did not report SHR data to the FBI. In 

other States, an SHR record should have been filed by 

police for all justifiable homicides. It is unknown what percentage of justifiable homicides by police were actually submitted to SHR. For a detailed discussion of SHR reporting 

procedures regarding justifiable homicides by police, see 

the Methodology section of Policing and Homicide, 1976-

98: Justifiable Homicide by Police, Police Officers Murdered 

by Felons <http://www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/

ph98.htm>.

A major difference between the SHR and DCRP counts of 

law enforcement homicides is the source of the data. SHR 

records are reported by the law enforcement agencies 

involved in the deaths while DCRP records are compiled by 

State data reporters. State law enforcement agencies were 

involved in 6% of law enforcement homicide cases reported 

to DCRP. In the remaining 94% of law enforcement homicides, State data reporters provided data on local law 

enforcement agencies (see appendix table 7).

A comparison of the SHR and DCRP counts of law enforcement homicides between 2003 and 2005 is discussed on 

page 2. Data for each State by type of data collection are 

presented in appendix table 3.

Arrest-related deaths from the National Center for Health 

Statistics 

A national measure of law enforcement homicides is also 

contained in mortality statistics collected by the Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for 

Health Statistics (NCHS). In collecting death certificates for 

all deaths in the United States, NCHS classifies causes of 

death according to the International Classification of Disease, 10th revision (ICD-10). Under the ICD-10 system, 

deaths can be classified as “deaths by legal intervention” (or 

code Y35). These records include only deaths by police use 

of force and mandated executions in prisons. None of the 

other forms of arrest-related deaths are included.

The NCHS death records are typically reported by coroners 

and medical examiner’s offices. These data providers may 

not always use the specific ICD-10 code to designate law 

enforcement homicides separately from other homicide 

cases. The respondents may also not know if the deceased 

was involved in an attempted arrest at the time of death. 

Final NCHS’ mortality data on legal intervention deaths 

were not available for 2005. For 2003 and 2004, NCHS 

counts of legal intervention deaths by police (679 nationwide) were lower than the counts of law enforcement homicides reported to DCRP (731) and justifiable homicides by 

police reported to SHR (739). NCHS counts of legal intervention deaths are available at <http://wonder.cdc.gov/cmficd10.html>.
8 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

This report in portable document 

format and in ASCII and its related 

statistical data and tables are 

available at the BJS World Wide 

Web Internet site: <http://

www.ojp.usdoj.gov/bjs/abstract/

ardus05.htm>. 

The Bureau of Justice Statistics is 

the statistical agency of the U.S. 

Department of Justice. Jeffrey L. 

Sedgwick is director.

This Special Report was written by 

Christopher J. Mumola. Margaret 

E. Noonan verified the report and 

prepared data tables. Data 

collection and processing of death 

records were carried out by Lara E. 

Allen and Margaret E. Noonan. 

Erica L. Smith analyzed data from 

the FBI’s Supplementary Homicide 

Reports. 

Carolyn C. Williams of BJS 

produced and edited the report. 

Jayne Robinson prepared the 

report for final printing, under the 

supervision of Doris J. James.

October 2007, NCJ 219534

Office of Justice Programs

Innovation • Partnerships • Safer 

Neighborhoods
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 9

Appendix table 1. Number of arrest-related deaths and data reporting sources, by State, 2003-2005

Data reporting sources

Region and jurisdiction

Number of arrestrelated deaths, 

2003-05

Local law 

enforcement 

agency Media

Coroner/

Medical 

examiner State police

State UCR/

SHR reporter

State attorney general/

Prosecutors Other*

Total 2,002 43 30 23 19 9 6 7

Northeast 261

Connecticut 9  

Maine 6  

Massachusetts 23   

New Hampshire 5  

New Jersey 37   

New York 97  

Pennsylvania 77  

Rhode Island 5   

Vermont 2   

Midwest 378

Illinois 80  

Indiana 26  

Iowa 22  

Kansas 22   

Michigan 73   

Minnesota 20  

Missouri 16  

Nebraska 10  

North Dakota 7  

Ohio 71  

South Dakota 5   

Wisconsin 26  

South 699

Alabama 9 

Arkansas 1  

Delaware 3   

District of Columbia 10 

Florida 204    

Georgia / / / / / / / /

Kentucky 9  

Louisiana 11  

Maryland / / / / / / / /

Mississippi 3  

North Carolina 58  

Oklahoma 39   

South Carolina 6  

Tennessee 4  

Texas 298 

Virginia 37    

West Virginia 7   
10 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 1. Number of arrest-related deaths and data reporting sources, by State, 2003-2005(cont.) 

Data reporting sources

Region and jurisdiction

Number of arrestrelated deaths, 

2003-05

Local law 

enforcement 

agency Media

Coroner/

Medical 

examiner State police

State UCR/

SHR reporter

State attorney general/

Prosecutors Other

West 664

Alaska 3   

Arizona 125   

California 310   

Colorado 48  

Hawaii 10 

Idaho 4  

Montana / / / / / / /

Nevada 2 / / / / / / /

New Mexico 32  

Oregon 42  

Utah 21 

Washington 66  

Wyoming 1  

/Not reported.

* The following States used other data sources: Indiana (Department of Health), Nebraska (targeted annual mailings by the Nebraska Crime 

Commission), Kentucky (Office of Vital Statistics), North Carolina (local hospitals), New Mexico (National Violent Death Registry Project), and 

Oregon (Department of Health Services). 
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 11

Appendix table 2. Number of arrest-related deaths, by State and cause of death, 2003-2005 

Cause of death, 2003-05

Region and jurisdiction

Number of arrestrelated deaths, 

2003-05 Homicide Intoxication Suicide Accident Illness

Other/

unknown

Total 2,002 1,106 251 234 140 113 158

Northeast 261 142 35 28 12 27 17

Connecticut 9 9 0 0 0 0 0

Maine 6 2 1 2 0 0 1

Massachusetts 23 6 9 3 0 4 1

New Hampshire 5 3 1 1 0 0 0

New Jersey 37 20 7 3 2 2 3

New York 97 52 11 10 6 12 6

Pennsylvania 77 47 5 9 3 7 6

Rhode Island 5 1 1 0 1 2 0

Vermont 2 2 0 0 0 0 0

Midwest 378 260 29 35 26 16 12

Illinois 80 55 3 8 5 5 4

Indiana 26 26 0 0 0 0 0

Iowa 22 15 0 5 2 0 0

Kansas 22 10 3 3 2 3 1

Michigan 73 48 8 7 8 2 0

Minnesota 20 14 2 0 2 1 1

Missouri 16 9 2 4 0 1 0

Nebraska 10 8 0 0 0 2 0

North Dakota 7 2 2 3 0 0 0

Ohio 71 49 8 0 6 2 6

South Dakota 5 5 0 0 0 0 0

Wisconsin 26 19 1 5 1 0 0

South 699 330 94 94 54 40 87

Alabama 9 6 1 1 0 1 0

Arkansasa 1 0 1 0 0 00

Delaware 3 2 0 0 0 0 1

District of Columbia 10 7 1 1 0 1 0

Florida 204 98 21 6 18 4 57

Georgia / / / / / / /

Kentucky 9 9 0 0 0 0 0

Louisianaa 11 7 0 0 1 2 1

Maryland / / / / / / /

Mississippia 3 0 1 2 0 00

North Carolina 58 19 6 9 13 4 7

Oklahoma 39 31 1 6 1 0 0

South Carolina 6 2 2 0 1 0 1

Tennesseea 4 1 0 0 1 02

Texas 298 116 57 65 16 27 17

Virginia 37 29 2 4 1 1 0

West Virginia 7 3 1 0 2 0 1

West 664 374 94 77 48 30 41

Alaska 3 1 0 1 1 0 0

Arizona 125 79 12 20 7 4 3

California 310 162 62 17 25 20 24

Colorado 48 26 3 11 6 1 1

Hawaii 10 3 4 0 0 3 0

Idaho 4 3 0 0 1 0 0

Montana / / / / / / /

Nevadab 2 1 0 0 0 10

New Mexico 32 16 4 11 1 0 0

Oregon 42 36 0 4 2 0 0

Utah 21 12 1 7 0 0 1

Washington 66 35 8 6 5 0 12

Wyomingb 1 0 0 0 0 10

/Not reported.

aReported data only in 2004 and 2005.

bReported data only in 2003.
12 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 3. Comparative counts of law enforcement homicides in Supplemental Homicide Reports (SHR) 

and Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP) data collections, by State, 2003-2005 

2003 2004 2005

Region and jurisdiction SHR DCRP SHR DCRP SHR DCRP

Total 371 366 368 365 343 364

Northeast 46 36 56 55 38 46

Connecticut 0 0 2 5 2 4

Maine 0 1 0 0 1 1

Massachusetts 4 2 1 2 1 2

New Hampshire 0 1 1 1 0 1

New Jersey 11 1 19 8 12 10

New York 18 15 14 17 10 16

Pennsylvania 13 15 19 21 11 11

Rhode Island 0 0 0 1 0 0

Vermont 0 1 0 0 1 1

Midwest 55 100 44 78 40 81

Illinois 15 24 9 15 12 16

Indiana 6 9 2 7 8 10

Iowa 1 2 1 8 2 5

Kansas 0 4 0 2 2 4

Michigan 7 20 13 14 2 14

Minnesota 2 5 5 7 2 2

Missouri 10 7 9 1 6 1

Nebraska 1 5 1 2 0 1

North Dakota 0 2 0 0 0 0

Ohio 8 13 2 17 1 18

South Dakota 0 3 0 1 1 1

Wisconsin 5 6 2 4 4 9

South 92 111 79 97 89 119

Alabama 1 1 0 0 1 5

Arkansas 2 / 0 0 0 0

Delaware 0 1 0 0 0 1

District of Columbia / 2 / 2 / 3

Florida / 22 / 31 / 45

Georgia 10 / 0 / 6 /

Kentucky 2 3 2 2 1 4

Louisiana 9 / 7 0 13 7

Maryland 10 / 13 / 18 /

Mississippi 0 / 0 0 0 0

North Carolina 3 1 4 9 5 8

Oklahoma 12 14 11 15 11 1

South Carolina 0 2 4 0 1 0

Tennessee 5 / 10 0 5 1

Texas 34 55 23 25 27 36

Virginia 4 8 5 12 1 8

West Virginia 0 2 0 1 0 0

West 178 119 189 135 176 118

Alaska 2 0 2 1 1 0

Arizona 17 18 27 34 18 27

California 120 50 123 60 111 50

Colorado 14 13 12 6 8 7

Hawaii 1 0 1 3 0 0

Idaho 0 2 1 1 0 0

Montana 0 / 0 / 4 /

Nevada 2 1 4 / 9 /

New Mexico 3 11 2 3 5 2

Oregon 3 9 5 12 5 15

Utah 1 4 2 5 2 3

Washington 13 11 10 10 12 14

Wyoming 2 0 0 / 1 /

/Not reported.
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 13

Appendix table 4. Percent of arrest-related deaths, by cause of death and selected characteristics, 2003-2005 

Cause of death, 2003-05

Selected characteristics All causes Homicide Intoxication Suicide Accident Illness

Other/

unknown

All deaths 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Gender

Male 95.5% 96.8% 93.7% 94.4% 97.1% 92.0% 92.2%

Female 4.5 3.2 6.3 5.6 2.9 8.0 7.8

Race/Hispanic origin

White* 43.9% 44.8% 32.7% 57.0% 37.2% 46.3% 39.4%

Black or African American* 31.9 29.9 41.0 14.3 42.3 37.0 46.0

Hispanic or Latino 20.2 20.2 21.9 25.7 18.2 13.9 14.6

Other/multiple races 4.0 5.1 4.4 3.0 2.3 2.8 0.0

Age

17 or younger 2.1% 2.5% 1.6% 2.6% 2.2% 0.0% 0.7%

18-24 20.1 25.3 11.7 17.0 23.1 2.7 10.2

25-34 28.1 29.5 33.6 24.9 25.4 11.8 27.7

35-44 28.6 25.3 35.6 31.0 29.9 24.5 40.1

45-54 15.0 11.9 15.4 16.6 15.7 39.1 16.1

55 or older 6.1 5.5 2.0 7.9 3.7 21.8 5.1

Number of deaths 2,002 1,106 252 234 140 113 157

Note: Gender was not reported for 4 deaths, race/Hispanic origin was not reported for 46 deaths, and age was not reported for 70 

deaths.

*Excludes Hispanics or Latinos.
14 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 5. Arrest-related deaths, by most serious offense, 

2003-2005 

Arrest-related deaths, 2003-05

Most serious offense Number Percent

All offenses 2,002 100%

Violent offenses 1,119 55.9%

Homicide 177 8.8

Murder of a law enforcement officer 8 0.4

Att.murder of a law enforcement officer 105 5.2

Other murder/manslaughter 64 3.2

Kidnapping 38 1.9

Sexual assault a 13 0.6

Robbery 96 4.8

Assault 744 37.2

Assault on a law enforcement officer 251 12.5

Domestic violenceb 57 2.8

Other assault 436 21.8

Other violent 51 2.5

Property offenses 150 7.5%

Burglary 49 2.4

Larceny 14 0.7

Motor vehicle theft 21 1.0

Fraud 11 0.5

Other propertyc 55 2.7

Drug offenses 154 7.7%

Possession 105 5.2

Trafficking 31 1.5

Other drug 18 0.9

Public-order offenses 290 14.5%

Weapons 36 1.8

Obstruction of justice 85 4.2

Obstruction of law enforcement activities 55 2.7

Obstruction of court activities 30 1.5

Traffic violations 36 1.8

Driving while intoxicated 29 1.4

Drunkenness, disorderly conduct 74 3.7

Probation/parole violation, escape 21 1.0

Immigration 1 --

Other public-order 8 0.4

No criminal charges intended 75 3.7%

Mental health transport 44 2.2

Medical transport 9 0.4

Unspecified 22 1.1

Offense not reported 214 10.7%

--Less than 0.05%.

aIncludes rape and other sexual assault.

bSome domestic violence cases may be reported as assaults.

cIncludes arson and stolen property.
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 15

Appendix table 6. Most serious offense by cause of death among arrest-related deaths, 2003-2005 

Cause of death, 2003-05

Most serious offense All causes Homicide Intoxication Suicide Accident Illness

Other/

unknown

All offenses 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100% 100%

Violent offensesa 55.9% 74.2% 27.8% 50.9% 29.3% 29.2% 22.3%

Homicide 8.8 13.1 0.0 9.0 2.8 0.9 3.8

Murder of a law enforcement officerb 5.6 9.4 0.0 1.7 1.4 0.0 1.9

Other murder/manslaughter 3.2 3.7 0.0 7.3 1.4 0.9 1.9

Kidnapping 1.9 2.3 1.2 3.4 0.0 0.0 1.3

Robbery 4.8 7.0 1.2 3.8 2.1 1.8 1.3

Assault 37.2 48.7 23.0 28.6 23.6 21.2 14.6

Assault on a law enforcement officer 12.5 16.7 8.3 4.7 10.0 8.8 6.4

Domestic violencec 2.8 2.2 2.0 6.4 3.6 4.4 1.9

Other assault 21.8 29.8 12.7 17.5 10.0 8.0 6.3

Property offensesa 7.5% 3.9% 13.9% 10.3% 9.3% 15.9% 10.8%

Burglary 2.4 1.6 4.4 1.7 2.9 3.5 5.1

Motor vehicle theft 1.0 1.0 0.4 1.7 2.1 1.8 0.0

Drug offensesa 7.7% 2.9% 18.7% 6.0% 18.6% 15.9% 10.8%

Possession 5.2 1.4 15.9 3.0 10.0 12.4 9.6

Trafficking 1.5 1.2 1.2 1.7 5.7 1.8 0.0

Public-order offensesa 14.5% 8.0% 22.6% 24.8% 27.1% 29.2% 10.2%

Weapons 1.8 1.9 1.2 3.4 0.7 1.8 0.6

Obstruction of justice 4.2 2.8 5.6 6.4 11.4 2.7 3.8

Obstruction of law enforcement activities 2.7 1.8 3.6 3.4 8.6 1.8 2.5

Obstruction of court activities 1.5 1.0 2.0 3.0 2.9 0.9 1.3

Traffic violations 1.8 1.0 3.2 3.4 5.0 1.8 0.0

Driving while intoxicated 1.4 0.4 1.2 4.3 3.6 5.6 0.6

Drunkenness, disorderly conduct 3.7 0.8 11.5 4.3 3.6 12.4 4.5

Probation/parole violation, escape 1.0 0.7 0.0 2.1 2.1 3.5 0.6

No criminal charges intendeda 3.7% 2.5% 8.7% 3.4% 1.4% 6.2% 5.1%

Mental health transport 2.2 1.2 5.2 3.0 1.4 3.5 3.2

Offense not reported 10.7% 8.5% 8.3% 4.7% 14.3% 3.5% 40.8%

Number of deaths 2,002 1,106 252 234 140 113 157

aDetailed offenses only displayed when 20 or more deaths were reported.

bIncludes attempted murder of a law enforcement officer.

cSome domestic violence cases may be reported as assaults.
16 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 7. Profile of circumstances surrounding arrestrelated homicides by law enforcement, 2003-2005 

Arrest-related law enforcement homicides, 2003-05

Circumstances Number Percent

Type of agency involved in arresta

Sheriffs’ office 207 19.0%

Local police department 802 73.5

State police/highway patrol 70 6.4

Special jurisdiction police 9 0.8

Constables 3 0.3

Number of full-time sworn personnel 

employed by the agency involveda

1-9 27 2.5%

10-24 46 4.2

25-49 93 8.5

50-99 96 8.8

100-249 144 13.2

250-499 140 12.9

500-999 119 10.9

1,000 or more 423 38.9

Restraints used on the arresteeb 38 3.6%

Handcuffs 26 2.4

Leg restraints 5 0.5

Other devices 12 1.1

Arrestee behavior during arrest

Appeared intoxicated 199 18.3%

Threatened officers 681 62.6

Resisted arrest 311 28.6

Tried to flee, escape arrest 392 36.0

Grabbed, hit or fought with officers 184 16.9

Used weapon to threaten/assault officers 872 80.1

Any of the above 1,058 97.2%

Two or more of the above 829 75.7

Weapon used by officers to cause the death 1,060 97.3%

Firearm 1,049 96.3

Handgun 912 83.7

Rifle/shotgun 186 17.1

Unspecified firearm 13 1.2

Nightstick or baton 1 0.1

Taser/conducted-energy device 2 0.2

Otherc 11 1.0

Number of deaths 1,095

Note: Data was missing on 4 cases for agency type, 7 cases for the number 

of sworn officers, 33 cases for restraint use, 6 cases for arrestee behavior, 

and 6 cases for weapons used by officers.

aIn cases involving multiple arresting agencies, the characteristics of the 

largest agency are reported.

bMore than one device may have been used to restrain the arrestee.

cIncludes five cases in which a vehicle was used as a weapon; two cases 

involving a knife; and one case each involving a pellet gun, broken glass, and 

an unspecified police restraint device.
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 17

Appendix table 8. Profile of circumstances surrounding arrest-related 

intoxication deaths, 2003-2005

Arrest-related alcohol/drug 

intoxication deaths, 2003-05

Circumstances Number Percent

Death occurred at the arrest scene (198 cases)

Restraints used on the arrestee* 163 88.1%

Handcuffs 157 84.9

Leg restraints 32 17.2

Other devices 13 7.0

No restraints used 22 11.9

Arrestee behavior during arrest

Appeared intoxicated 149 75.3%

Threatened officers 40 20.2

Resisted arrest 122 61.6

Tried to flee, escape arrest 53 26.8

Grabbed, hit or fought with officers 80 40.4

Used weapon to threaten/assault officers 9 4.5

Any of the above 175 88.4%

Two or more of the above 128 64.6

Location where the arrestee died

At the crime/arrest scene 27 14.1%

At medical facility 149 77.6

En route to medical facility 11 5.7

En route to booking center/police station 5 2.6

Death occurred at a police station or booking facility 

(50 cases)

Arrestee behavior at time of entry

Appeared intoxicated 24 51.1%

Exhibit mental health problems 1 2.2

Exhibit medical problems 8 17.8

Any of the above 32 68.1%

*More than one device may have been used to restrain the arrestee.
18 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 9. Profile of circumstances surrounding arrestrelated suicides prior to booking, 2003-2005 

Arrest-related suicides, 2003-05

Circumstances Number Percent

Type of agency involved in arresta

Sheriffs’ office 38 24.5%

Local police department 101 65.2

State police/highway patrol 15 9.7

Special jurisdiction police 1 0.6

Constables 0 0.0

Number of full-time sworn personnel 

employed by the agency involveda

1-9 7 4.5%

10-24 12 7.7

25-49 16 10.3

50-99 16 10.3

100-249 17 11.0

250-499 17 11.0

500-999 22 14.2

1,000 or more 48 31.0

Restraints used on the arresteeb 14 9.2%

Handcuffs 12 7.7

Leg restraints 1 0.6

Other devices 0 0.0

Location where the arrestee died

At the crime/arrest scene 104 68.4%

At medical facility 36 23.7

En route to medical facility 3 2.0

En route to booking center/police station 4 2.6

Elsewhere 5 3.3

Arrestee behavior during arrest

Appeared intoxicated 19 12.2%

Threatened officers 37 23.7

Resisted arrest 26 16.7

Tried to flee, escape arrest 55 35.3

Grabbed, hit or fought with officers 5 3.2

Used weapon to threaten/assault officers 52 33.3

Any of the above 109 69.9%

Two or more of the above 57 36.5

Weapon used to cause the death 140 89.7%

Firearm 132 84.6

Handgun 107 68.6

Rifle/shotgun 25 16.0

Unspecified firearm 0 0.0

Nightstick or baton 0 0.0

Taser/conducted-energy device 1 0.6

Otherc 7 4.5

Number of deaths 156

Note: Data were missing on one case for agency type, one case for the number of sworn officers, and four cases for restraint use.

aIn cases involving multiple arresting agencies, the characteristics of the largest agency are reported.

bMore than one device may have been used to restrain the arrestee.

c

Three suicides were committed using a wire or cord; two cases involved a 

knife; and one case each involved a broken bottle and a vehicle.
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 19

Appendix table 10. Profile of circumstances surrounding arrest-related 

suicides at police stations and booking facilities, 2003-2005 

Arrest-related suicides, 

2003-05

Circumstances Number Percent

Type of agency involved in arresta

Sheriffs’ office 27 35.5%

Local police department 48 63.2

State police/highway patrol 1 1.3

Special jurisdiction police 0 0.0

Constables 0 0.0

Number of full-time sworn personnel 

employed by the agency involveda

1-9 8 10.5%

10-24 14 18.4

25-49 18 23.7

50-99 10 13.2

100-249 7 9.2

250-499 7 9.2

500-999 1 1.3

1,000 or more 11 14.5

Arrestee behavior at time of entry

Appeared intoxicated 21 31.3%

Exhibit mental health problems 4 6.2

Exhibit medical problems 2 3.1

Any of the above 25 37.3%

Means of suicide

Hanging, strangulation 66 95.7%

Firearm 2 2.9

Blunt instrument 0 0.0

Knife, other cutting instrument 0 0.0

Intentional drug overdose 0 0.0

Otherb 1 1.4

Number of deaths 76

aIn cases involving multiple arresting agencies, the characteristics of 

the largest agency are reported.

bArrestee jumped from a third-floor stairway.
20 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 11. Law enforcement officers killed and assaulted, and arrestees killed in the process of arrest, 

by State, 2003-2005

 Law enforcement officers killed, 2003-05a Arrestee deaths, 2003-05b Assaults on law 

enforcement officers, 2003-05a Region and jurisdiction Total Feloniously Accidentally Total

Homicide by law 

enforcement Accidental

Total 380 159 221 2,002 1,095 140 174,760

Northeastc 43 16 27 261 137 12 22,640

Connecticut 2 1 1 9 9 0

Maine 0 0 0 6 2 0

Massachusetts 2 0 2 23 6 0

New Hampshire 0 0 0 5 3 0

New Jersey 8 1 7 37 19 2

New York 16 8 8 97 48 6

Pennsylvania 12 5 7 77 47 3

Rhode Island 1 1 0 5 1 1

Vermont 2 0 2 2 2 0

Midwestd 68 28 40 378 259 26 24,583

Illinois 12 1 11 80 55 5

Indiana 10 5 5 26 26 0

Iowa 1 0 1 22 15 2

Kansas 3 2 1 22 10 2

Michigan 14 6 8 73 48 8

Minnesota 3 2 1 20 14 2

Missouri 12 4 8 16 9 0

Nebraska 1 1 0 10 8 0

North Dakota 0 0 0 7 2 0

Ohio 6 4 2 71 48 6

South Dakota 1 0 1 5 5 0

Wisconsin 5 3 2 26 19 1

Southe 190 83 107 699 327 54 86,570

Alabama 16 9 7 9 6 0

Arkansas 4 0 4 1 0 0

Delaware 1 0 1 3 2 0

District of Columbia 1 1 0 10 7 0

Florida 22 7 15 204 98 18

Georgia 18 7 11 / / /

Kentucky 4 3 1 9 9 0

Louisiana 18 11 7 11 7 1

Maryland 6 2 4 / / /

Mississippi 9 6 3 3 0 0

North Carolina 13 6 7 58 18 13

Oklahoma 5 2 3 39 30 1

South Carolina 10 5 5 6 2 1

Tennessee 16 6 10 4 1 1

Texas 34 8 26 298 116 16

Virginia 13 10 3 37 28 1

West Virginia 0 0 0 7 3 2
Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005 21

Appendix table 11. Law enforcement officers killed and assaulted, and arrestees killed in the process of arrest, 

by State, 2003-2005 (cont.)

 Law enforcement officers killed, 2003-05a Arrestee deaths, 2003-05b Assaults on law 

enforcement officers, 2003-05a Region and jurisdiction Total Feloniously Accidentally Total

Homicide by law 

enforcement Accidental

Westf 79 32 47 664 372 48 40,967

Alaska 1 1 0 3 1 1

Arizona 10 4 6 125 79 7

California 44 17 27 310 160 25

Colorado 3 1 2 48 26 6

Hawaii 4 1 3 10 3 0

Idaho 1 0 1 4 3 1

Montana 2 1 1 / / /

Nevada 1 0 1 2 1 0

New Mexico 3 3 0 32 16 1

Oregon 1 0 1 42 36 2

Utah 2 1 1 21 12 0

Washington 7 3 4 66 35 5

Wyoming 0 0 0 1 0 0

/Not reported.

aData from the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) data collection program.

bData from the Bureau of Justice Statistics' Deaths in Custody Reporting Program (DCRP).

cCount of assaults on law enforcement officers excludes Vermont for 2004 and 2005.

dCount of assaults on law enforcement officers excludes Illinois for all years.

eCount of assaults on law enforcement officers excludes West Virginia for all years.

f

Count of assaults on law enforcement officers excludes Montana for 2005.
22 Arrest-Related Deaths in the United States, 2003-2005

Appendix table 12. Selected characteristics of deaths involving the use 

of conducted-energy devices, 2003-2005 

Arrest-related deaths involving the 

use of conducted-energy devices, 

2003-05

Characteristics Number Percent

All deaths 36 100%

Year

2003 3 8.3%

2004 9 25.0

2005 24 66.7

Gender

Male 36 100%

Race/Hispanic origin

White, not Hispanic or Latino 15 45.5%

Black, not Hispanic or Latino 16 48.5

Hispanic or Latino 2 6.1

Cause of death

Homicide by law enforcement 7 19.4%

Intoxication 10 27.8

Suicide 1 2.8

Accident 8 22.2

Illness 1 2.8

Other/unknown 9 25.0

Most serious offense

Violent offenses 16 44.4%

Assault on a law enforcement officera 6 16.7

Property offenses 8 22.2

Drug offenses 2 5.6

Public-order offenses 3 8.3

No criminal charges intended 2 5.6

Criminal charges not reported 5 13.9

Restraints used on arresteeb 28 77.8%

Handcuffs 18 50.0

Leg restraints 5 13.9

Other devices 16 44.4

Arrestee behavior during arrest

Appeared intoxicated 19 52.8%

Threatened officers 13 36.1

Resisted arrest 29 80.6

Tried to flee, escape arrest 16 44.4

Grabbed, hit or fought with officers 15 41.7

Used weapon to threaten/assault officers 11 30.6

Any of the above 36 100%

Two or more of the above 34 94.4

Weapon used to cause the deathc 24 68.6%

Firearm 5 14.3

Handgun 5 14.3

Nightstick or baton 1 2.9

Taser/conducted-energy deviced 17 48.6

Othere 3 8.6

Note: Data was missing on three cases for race/Hispanic origin, and on one case for 

weapons used.

aIncludes attempted assaults on a law enforcement officer.

bMore than one device may have been used to restrain the arrestee.

cMore than one weapon may have been used to cause the death.

dOf the 17 cases where States reported a conducted-energy device as the weapon 

causing the death, 5 were classified as accidents, 4 were intoxications, 2 were homicides by law enforcement, 1 was a suicide and 5 were classified as "other/unknown."

eIncludes one case involving a knife, and two cases in which a taser was used, but 

the report indicates that it was not established as the cause of the death.