Publications

The articles below are organized by topic to provide you with a variety of resources in an easy-to-view format. The articles contain information to supplement VALOR training presentations and to address other officer safety concerns. Authors are either actively involved with the VALOR Program or have extensive experience in law enforcement officer safety and other pertinent issues.

Officer Safety

Law Enforcement Perspective on the Use of Force Hands-On, Experiential Training for Prosecuting Attorneys

FBI Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizzotto, Ph.D., Edward F. Davis, M.A., Shannon Bohrer, M.B.A., and Robert Cheney

This article describes an experimental training program developed to place prosecuting attorneys in the shoes of officers on the street who may become involved in deadly-force incidents. The goal of the training was to provide realistic experience that would help attorneys gain a better understanding of the use of force from a law enforcement perspective. (read more...)

Unintentional Discharges, Finger Off the Trigger

Police Marksman

Shannon Bohrer, M.B.A.

This case study examines the contributing factors that may account for the accidental discharge of an officer’s service pistol. (read more...)

Traffic Stops

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller

Traffic stops often are the most frequent, and sometimes only, interactions that many citizens have with law enforcement officers. This article examines what may cause apparent routine contact with a motorist to escalate into a potentially life-threatening situation and preparations that law enforcement officers can make. (read more...)

Accidentally Dead

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller

Addressing the number of accidental deaths of law enforcement officers that began to rise in the late 1990s, this article outlines factors contributing to this trend and makes recommendations for departments to consider as a means to reduce accidental deaths. (read more...)

Offenders’ Perceptual Shorthand

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller

The following article presents three case studies of offenders targeting to kill law enforcement officers based on the officers’ actions and behaviors. (read more...)

Officers’ Perceptual Shorthand

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller

This article examines the actions and behaviors that officers observe and the potentially deadly consequences that can happen when officers make judgments based on incorrect or incomplete observations of a subject. (read more...)

One-Shot Drops

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J Pinizzotto, Ph.D.; Harry A. Klein, M.Ed.; and Edward F. Davis, M.S.

An old cinematic myth that offenders can be incapacitated by one shot is examined. Studies of actual shootings along with practical firearms and survival trainings are presented. (read more...)

Above and Beyond the Call of Duty

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Edward F. Davis, M.A.; Anthony J. Pinizzotto, Ph.D.

Even when officers are off the clock, they may still face dangerous encounters with armed subjects. This article highlights situations off-duty officers may face and issues for law enforcement departments to address. (read more...)

What I Learned With Experience, I Wish I Knew Before Experiencing. Life Lessons From Cops on the Street

If I Knew Life Then, Life Lessons From Cops on the Street

Shannon Bohrer

The author recounts an experience from his early police career and discusses the value of filming and critiquing scenario-based training. (read more...)

When the Hair on the Back of Your Neck Stands Up—Listen to It

Police Marksman

Shannon Bohrer

Many examples exist of law enforcement officers having a “sixth sense” about a situation. This article analyzes what the police “sixth sense” is and its role in law enforcement. (read more...)

After Firing the Shots, What Happens

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Shannon Bohrer

Law enforcement is a dangerous profession that sometimes requires officers to use deadly force. This article addresses ways to equip officers for what happens after such events. (read more...)

Interviewing Erratic Subjects

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; and George D. Deshazor, LCSW, BCD

This article focuses on the insanity defense and observations officers can make—as well as questions they can ask—that can assist courts in determining an offender’s state of mind at the time an offense occurred. (read more...)

Mobile App: Improving Officer Safety and Connectivity in the Wilderness

Government Technology

Brian Heaton

A new mobile application is helping U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (FWS) refuge officers identify potentially dangerous suspects and stay connected to colleagues while conducting investigations in remote locations. Details are presented in the following article. (read more...)

Not a Toy

Slide Show Presentation

Donald W. Reid

The presentation shows working firearms with finishes that may lead an officer to believe that such weapons are toys. (read more...)

Police Investigations of the Use of Deadly Force Can Influence Perceptions and Outcomes

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Shannon Bohrer, M.B.A., and Robert Chaney

How an agency handles the investigation of an officer-involved shooting can have a large influence on the public’s and officers’ perceptions regarding it. Six elements for investigating an officer-involved shooting are presented in this article. (read more...)

Street-Gang Mentality

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller III

Observations based on research to aid law enforcement in understand gang members are presented in the following article. (read more...)

Suicide by Cop Among Officer-Involved Shooting Cases

Journal of Forensic Sciences

Kris Mohandie, Ph.D.; J. Reid Meloy, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.; and Peter I. Collins, M.C.A., M.D., F.R.C.P.

The frequency and characteristics of selected suicide-by-cop cases were reviewed and examined. The results of the authors’ study are shared in this report. (read more...)

Suicide by Cop

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller III

Three examples of attempted suicide by cop are examined in this article. The author emphasizes the need to raise the awareness of the law enforcement community to develop the necessary tools to deal appropriately with issues of training, response, media involvement, and officer safety-related suicide by cop. (read more...)

Suicide by Cop: Implications for Law Enforcement Managers

Law and Order Magazine

Anthony J. Pinizzotto, Ph.D., and Edward F. Davis, M.A.

The following articles contrast the manner in which two departments responded differently to calls for service concerning subjects intending to be killed by the responding officers and the resulting investigations. The article also recommends ways for departments to respond to similar calls for service. (read more...)

The Deadly Dilemma

FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin

Shannon Bohrer, M.B.A.; Harry A. Kern, M.Ed.; and Edward F. Davis, M.S.

This article explores reasons why officers do or do not fire their weapons when faced with critical situations. Additionally, recommendations to assist officers who need to make such decisions are presented. (read more...)

The TAS Principle, Technique, Accuracy then Speed

Police Marksman

Shannon Bohrer

The Technique, Accuracy, and then Speed (TAS) principle of teaching firearms skills and its benefits are discussed in this article. (read more...)

Active Shooter

NYPD – Active Shooter – 2010

New York City Police Department

Raymond W. Kelly

The New York City Police Department developed the following report to provide recommendations and analysis for mitigating risks associated with an active-shooter attack. (read more...)

NYPD – Active Shooter – 2012

New York City Police Department

Raymond W. Kelly

The New York City Police Department developed the following report to provide recommendations and analysis for mitigating risks associated with an active-shooter attack. (read more...)

Active Shooter: How to Respond

U.S. Department of Homeland Security

DHS developed these guidelines to prepare for, respond to, and manage an active shooter in the workplace. (read more...)

Lessons Learned From School Crises and Emergencies

U.S. Department of Education, Readiness and Emergency Management for Schools Technical Assistance Center

The following case study examines an active shooter incident at a school that turned into a hostage situation. In addition to providing pre-incident preparedness, incident actions, and post-incident response information, the document contains ten lessons learned from the incident. (read more...)

Defeating the Active Shooter: Applying Facility Upgrades in Order to Mitigate the effects of Active Shooters.

Charles E. Ergenbright and Sean K. Hubbard

The primary focus of this project is aimed at reducing the Rate of Kill of Active Shooters in U.S. IHEs. Accordingly, the recommendations included in this thesis suggest a practical implementation of facility upgrades capable of mitigating the deadly effects of Active Shooters. (read more...)

The Deadly Mix

FBI

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D.; Edward F. Davis, M.A.; and Charles E. Miller

This report explores the “Deadly Mix”—which describes the officer, the offender, and the circumstances that bring them together—and the implications it has for law enforcement. (read more...)

The Deadly Mix: The Officer, the Offender, and the Circumstances

WIN Critical Issue in Training and Leading Warriors

Shannon Bohrer

The factors that create the “Deadly Mix,” the importance of addressing all of them through training, and the need to provide officers with a more complete picture are discussed in this article. (read more...)

Killed in the Line of Duty: Procedural and Training

FBI

A Study of Selected Felonious Killings of Law Enforcement Officers

This article examines use-of-force policies, training, and supervising for safety that resulted from discussions with law enforcement officials. (read more...)

Sovereign Citizens

Domestic Terrorism: The Sovereign Citizen Movement

FBI Web Site

The following FBI story documents sovereign citizens, antigovernment extremists who believe that even though they physically reside in this country, they are separate or “sovereign” from the United States. As such, they believe they do not have to answer to any government authority, including courts, taxing entities, motor vehicle departments, or law enforcement. (read more...)

Extremist Groups

The Thin Blue Line—Step One in Homeland Defense

SLATT

D. Douglas Bodrero

The role of state and local law enforcement in a post-September 11 environment is examined in this document. (read more...)

We Have the Place Surrounded: Now What? Negotiating With Extremists

SLATT

Douglas Bodrero

Negotiations with criminal suspects have proven increasingly effective, but when the suspect is an adherent to a group or organization whose beliefs are outside of the mainstream, should law enforcement’s methods change? This paper presents the suggestions from a focus group consisting of experienced negotiators, negotiation commanders, investigators, and others involved in investigating extremist behavior. (read more...)

Domestic Terrorism: Focus on Militia Extremism

FBI Web Site

Part of a series focusing on domestic terror, this article introduces the militia extremism threat existing in the United States. (read more...)

Domestic Terrorism: Offenders

FBI Web Site

Lone offenders—single individuals driven to hateful attacks based on a particular set of beliefs without a larger group’s knowledge or support—are the focus of this article, which is part of a series focusing on domestic terror. (read more...)

The Emergence of Special-Interest/Single-Issue Terrorism

SLATT

William Dyson

The following document was written to provide information regarding so-called special-interest or single-issue terrorism—the use of extreme force and violence for the purpose of coercing a government and/or population to modify its behavior with respect to a specific area of concern. (read more...)

Intelligence Bulletins

Caught on Tape

FBI Bulletin

Anthony J. Pinizotto, Ph.D., and Edward F. Davis, M.S.

When criminals videotape their exploits, providing incontrovertible evidence against them, it must be properly attained by law enforcement for use by the prosecution. This article reviews the proper steps for law enforcement to obtain recordings and examines why criminals document themselves committing a crime. (read more...)


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