There has been a lot of debate recently over excessive force by police, especially after several high-profile deaths during arrests. Now a government agency is adding some vital statistics to that conversation.
The Bureau of Justice Statistics released its findings on arrest-related deaths on Thursday, which estimated about 1,900 people had died while being arrested in 2015. That estimation was based on media reports and police reports for June, July and August of 2015.
Of those deaths in June, July and August, 64 percent were homicides, defined as willful killing of another, 18 percent were suicides and 11 percent were accidents, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. Homicides include those ruled justifiable, such as in cases of self-defense.
The Bureau defined arrest-related deaths as any deaths that occur while a person is being detained by law enforcement in an official capacity, when their freedom to leave is limited by an officer prior to or during an arrest, and any death in a lock-up or booking center.
Read the rest at McClatchyDC.
