We learned many things about police shootings in America’s mid-to-large cities. Most findings fit expectations about when, where, and whom police shoot. Some findings challenge them. All of our findings are available from Deadly Force: Police Shootings in Urban America.
How Long Does it Take to Access Police Shootings Records?
Many police departments provided records quickly. Others took a long time. Some never responded to our requests.
What is the Rate of Police Shootings in Urban America?
Cities vary in the number of shootings per capita. Larger cities tend to have lower rates of shootings than smaller cities.
What is the Racial Identity of the
People the Police Shoot?
Black Americans are overrepresented among those shot by the police.
Is Violent Crime Tied to
Police Shootings?
Shootings correlate with violent crime. More reported violent crime, more police shootings. But there is more variation across cities than over time within them.
Are Police Shootings More Common in Minority Neighborhoods?
Shootings are unevenly distributed. Within cities they are the most common in the neighborhoods with the largest Black populations, even after accounting for socioeconomic conditions (e.g., poverty) and violent crime.
Do Police Mainly Shoot
Armed Subjects?
Police departments often provide incomplete records of shootings, including whether subjects shot were armed. But, when we do know the reported armed status of a subject, the most common weapon was a gun.