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- Title
Death Certification of 'Suicide by Cop'.
- Authors
Neitzel, Amber R.; Gill, James R.
- Abstract
Death certification of 'suicide by cop' is controversial among some medical examiners and coroners. We present five such deaths that were certified as suicides and discuss the medico-legal issues involved with these certifications. To certify such a death as a suicide, certain criteria should be met. Suicide by cop is a circumstance that involves competing intentional acts that may result in dichotomous determinations of the manner of death. Despite the absence of direct self-infliction, there is overwhelming evidence that these five individuals intended to end their own lives. Their use of an unusual method to accomplish this goal may inappropriately result in a reflexive certification of homicide. All of the decedents possessed weapons or a facsimile of a weapon. We present five instances of suicide by cop and contend that these types of deaths are best certified as suicides.
- Subjects
SUICIDE by cop; DEATH certificates; FORENSIC sciences; FORENSIC gas chromatography; MEDICOLEGAL investigators; GUNSHOT wounds; SUICIDE victims; CORONERS
- Publication
Journal of Forensic Sciences, 2011, Vol 56, Issue 6, p1657
- ISSN
0022-1198
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1111/j.1556-4029.2011.01891.x