Methodology

Scope

This database documents incidents involving law enforcement and federal agency use of force in the United States. We include:

  • Officer-involved shootings (fatal and non-fatal)
  • Deaths in custody
  • Use of force resulting in serious injury
  • Use of less-lethal weapons (tasers, pepper spray, etc.) resulting in injury

Agencies Covered

We document incidents involving all levels of law enforcement, including:

  • Federal agencies: FBI, DEA, ATF, U.S. Marshals Service, Secret Service, and other federal law enforcement
  • Border and immigration enforcement: U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Border Patrol, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE)
  • State agencies: State police, highway patrol, state troopers, state corrections
  • Local agencies: City and municipal police departments, county sheriffs, local corrections
  • Tribal law enforcement: Tribal police operating on reservations
  • Other: Private security with police powers, campus police, transit police

Sources

Each incident must be supported by at least one verifiable source. We categorize sources as follows:

Official Statements
Press releases, official reports from law enforcement agencies or government bodies.
News Media
Reports from established news organizations (AP, Reuters, local newspapers, etc.).
Video Evidence
Body camera footage, dashcam video, bystander recordings.
Court Documents
Lawsuits, court filings, grand jury documents, settlements.
NGO Reports
Reports from civil rights organizations, watchdog groups, academic researchers.
Medical Records
Autopsy reports, medical examiner findings.

Data Fields

For each incident, we attempt to document:

  • Date and location of the incident
  • Agency involved and agency type (federal, state, local, etc.)
  • Victim information when publicly available (name, age, gender, race)
  • Armed status of the victim
  • Outcome (fatal or non-fatal)
  • Official claims about what occurred
  • Status of any investigation

Status Definitions

Open
Incident is actively being documented. Information may be incomplete.
Under Investigation
An official investigation (internal affairs, DOJ, etc.) is ongoing.
Disputed
Significant conflicting accounts exist between official statements and other sources.
Closed
Investigation concluded or case otherwise resolved.
Archived
Historical record. No active updates expected.

Editorial Policy

We maintain strict neutrality in our documentation:

  • We report facts, not opinions
  • We present all sides when accounts conflict
  • We do not make judgments about guilt or innocence
  • We do not editorialize or advocate for specific policies
  • We link to primary sources whenever possible
  • We archive sources to prevent link rot

Data quality and limitations

This database has inherent limitations:

  • Not all incidents are reported in the media; counts are likely undercounts.
  • Official data on police use of force is incomplete nationwide.
  • Information may be delayed or inaccurate in early reporting.
  • Some incidents may be missing or underdocumented.
  • We rely on publicly available information only.
  • Fatal means the incident resulted in death; we do not assign cause.

Privacy

This website does not use cookies, tracking scripts, or analytics. We do not collect any personal information from visitors. All source URLs are archived to ensure permanence.