Risk of being killed by police use of force in the United States by age, race–ethnicity, and sex

TLDR

The study estimates how the risk of being killed by police use of force varies across social groups, including lifetime and age‑specific risks by race and sex, and the proportion of all deaths attributable to police violence. Using data on police‑involved deaths, the authors calculate lifetime and age‑specific risks by race and sex and estimate the share of all deaths caused by police use of force. African American, American Indian/Alaska Native, and Latino men and women face higher lifetime risks than white peers, while Latina women and Asian/Pacific Islander men and women face lower risks; black men have the highest risk (~1 in 1,000), overall lifetime odds are 1 in 2,000 for men and 1 in 33,000 for women, risk peaks at ages 20–35, and for young men of color police violence is a leading cause of death.

Abstract

We use data on police-involved deaths to estimate how the risk of being killed by police use of force in the United States varies across social groups. We estimate the lifetime and age-specific risks of being killed by police by race and sex. We also provide estimates of the proportion of all deaths accounted for by police use of force. We find that African American men and women, American Indian/Alaska Native men and women, and Latino men face higher lifetime risk of being killed by police than do their white peers. We find that Latina women and Asian/Pacific Islander men and women face lower risk of being killed by police than do their white peers. Risk is highest for black men, who (at current levels of risk) face about a 1 in 1,000 chance of being killed by police over the life course. The average lifetime odds of being killed by police are about 1 in 2,000 for men and about 1 in 33,000 for women. Risk peaks between the ages of 20 y and 35 y for all groups. For young men of color, police use of force is among the leading causes of death.