Fatal Injuries of Law Enforcement/Correctional Officers Attacked with Sharp-Edged Weapons,

• Autores: Patsy Chenpanas, Cynthia A. Bir
• Localización: Journal of forensic sciences, ISSN-e 1556-4029, ISSN 0022-1198, Vol. 62, Nº. 3, 2017, págs. 700-704
• Idioma: inglés
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• Resumen

  • 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.