A Mixed-Method Analysis of Fatal Attacks on Police by Far-Right Extremists

Abstract

Several recent high-profile homicides of police officers have brought increased attention to issues of far-right extremist violence in the United States. We still, however, know very little about why (and how) certain encounters between far-right extremists and police result in violence. To fill this research gap, we conduct a mixed-method analysis of far-right police homicides based on quantitative and qualitative data from the United States Extremist Crime Database (ECDB). We begin by categorizing cases based on key aspects of homicide storylines.We then comparatively analyze attributes of event precursor, transaction, and aftermath stages across four storyline categories. Finally, a case study is purposively selected to follow-up on each storyline category to better capture the nuances of fluid homicide processes. Our findings have important implications for identifying triggering events, escalation factors, and other situated sets of conditions and circumstances that contribute to deadly outcomes for police officers.

Targeted violence against law enforcement officers

“…Assaults on LEOs may also be planned violent acts of retaliation, efforts to advance a criminal enterprise or extremist ideology mission (Gruenewald, Dooley, Suttmoeller, Chermak, & Freilich, ), or an effort to provoke a police‐involved shooting in pursuit of suicide by cop (Mohandie, Meloy, & Collins, ). The latter type of planned and targeted violence against LEOs has been referred to as entrapment ambushes (Fachner & Thorkildsen, ).…”

“…Examples of affective violence include road rage, physical altercations fueled by alcohol or other substances, and acts of reactive physical aggression due to serious mental disorders. In the law enforcement context, examples can include violent resistance by out of control individuals or subjects who become suddenly aggressive during police contacts, such as during traffic stops or investigations (Gruenewald et al, ), or during police response to intimate partner violence complaints (Kercher, Swedler, Pollack, & Webster, ).…”

“…In addition to those that occur during arrests or when responding to domestic violence complaints, spontaneous assaults are exemplified by assaults on police that occur during traffic stops. Traffic stops of individuals who are part of the Sovereign Citizens movement have been particularly hazardous for LEOs (Department of Homeland Security, ; Gruenewald et al, ).…”

“…In their analysis of police homicides by right wing extremists, Gruenewald and colleagues used a homicide storyline approach to conduct a combined qualitative–quantitative analysis of 30 cases of far‐right extremist anti‐police homicides (Gruenewald et al, ). They identified four categories of motive or purpose for the homicides: Avoiding arrest (14; 47%) – the subject had previously committed crimes and was avoiding arrest; Mission offenses (8; 27%) – the subject was making an ideological statement by killing police; Defending property (6; 20%) – the subject viewed police presence on his property as a threat to civil liberties; Defending family (2; 7%) – the subject perceived police officers as being a threat to his family. …”

“…Gruenewald et al () also used the CEP approach in analyzing 30 anti‐police homicides by far‐right extremists, focusing on the multidimensional nature of such events, including offender characteristics, reasons for the homicides, warning signs, and behavioral and environmental contexts. The CEP model resembles the threat assessment approach to assessing and managing targeted violence, recognizing that violence is the result of complicated and often‐varying interactions among the potential perpetrator, the potential target, past stressful events in the life of the perpetrator, and his or her current situation (Borum et al, ).…”