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This Article Figures Only Full Text Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: AJPH.2009.159616v1 99/12/2268    most recent Submit a response View Shopping Cart Alert me when this article is cited Alert me when eLetters are posted Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by MacDonald, J. M. Articles by Smith, M. R. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by MacDonald, J. M. Articles by Smith, M. R. Related Collections Epidemiology Health Policy Injury/Emergency Care/Violence Occupational Health Prevention

John M. MacDonald, PhD, Robert J. Kaminski, PhD and Michael R. Smith, JD, PhD

John M. MacDonald is with the Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia. Robert J. Kaminski is with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia. At the time of this study, Michael R. Smith was with the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, University of South Carolina, Columbia.

Correspondence: Correspondence should be sent to John MacDonald, Department of Criminology, University of Pennsylvania, McNeil Building, Suite 483, 3718 Locust Walk, Philadelphia, PA 19104-6286 (e-mail: johnmm{at}sas.upenn.edu). Reprints can be ordered at http://ajph.org by clicking the "Reprints/Eprints" link.

Objectives. We investigated the effect of the use of less-lethal weapons, conductive energy devices (CEDs), and oleoresin capsicum (OC) spray on the prevalence and incidence of injuries to police officers and civilians in encounters involving the use of force.

Methods. We analyzed data from 12 police departments that documented injuries to officers and civilians in 24 380 cases. We examined monthly injury rates for 2 police departments before and after their adoption of CEDs.

Results. Odds of injury to civilians and officers were significantly lower when police used CED weapons, after control for differences in case attributes and departmental policies restricting use of these weapons. Monthly incidence of injury in 2 police departments declined significantly, by 25% to 62%, after adoption of CED devices.

Conclusions. Injuries sustained during police use-of-force events affect thousands of police officers and civilians in the United States each year. Incidence of these injuries can be reduced dramatically when law enforcement agencies responsibly employ less-lethal weapons in lieu of physical force.

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