Abstract
According to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, there were 117 law enforcement fatalities in the United States in 2015. Assaults with sharp-edged weapons have resulted in a total of over 400 fatalities in the United States. The goal of the current research was to examine sharp-edged weapon assaults against law enforcement and correctional agents that resulted in a fatal outcome. A total of twelve autopsy reports were reviewed from across the United States. Four cases involved law enforcement officers, seven involved correctional officers, and one was an off-duty border officer. The male-to-female ratio was 11:1. A total of 70.2% of the wounds analyzed were stab wounds (n = 85), and 29.8% of the wounds were slash wounds (n = 36). Based on this review, the neck, shoulder, and chest regions were the most vulnerable to single fatal stab/slash wounds. Multiple stab/slash wounds often resulted in exsanguination. The use of body armor was only noted in one case.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 700-704 |
Number of pages | 5 |
Journal | Journal of Forensic Sciences |
Volume | 62 |
Issue number | 3 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - May 2017 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- correctional facilities
- fatalities
- forensic science
- law enforcement
- slash
- stab
- wounds
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Pathology and Forensic Medicine
- Genetics