Arrest-related deaths, 2011

              Oklahoma State Bureau of Investigation
Information Services Division
Data Collection and Reporting Section
Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center
Arrest-Related Deaths, 2011
December 2012
Introduction
The Oklahoma Statistical Analysis Center participates in
the Arrest-Related Deaths (ARD) program, which is a
national data collection of persons who die either during
the process of arrest or while in the custody of state or
local law enforcement. The program is administered by
the Bureau of Justice Statistics (BJS). According to BJS,
an arrest-related death is defined as “one that occurs
anytime a person’s freedom to leave is restricted by state
or local law enforcement personnel. Arrest-related deaths
can occur before law enforcement personnel establish
physical custody or before a formal arrest process is
initiated. The ARD collection also includes the deaths of
individuals who die while attempting to elude police
during the course of apprehension (e.g., police chases
and standoffs).”
This report provides descriptive data and a summary of
events surrounding qualifying deaths in Oklahoma for
2011.
Methodology
SAC staff collects data from multiple sources, including
local newspapers, television reports, Internet searches,
medical examiner reports, and Supplementary Homicide
Reports. The Oklahoma State Department of Health
(OSDH) serves as an additional source of information;
historically, OSDH has assisted the SAC in identifying
additional deaths missed using traditional sources.
Once a qualifying death is identified, staff requests the
autopsy report from the Oklahoma Office of the Chief
Medical Examiner. After data are collected, staff
completes required forms (a form for each death and a
quarterly form), which are then submitted to BJS for
inclusion in the national ARD data collection.
SAC staff also collects data for state-level analysis,
including descriptive data, pertinent circumstances,
weapons involved in the incident, and behaviors of both
the individual and law enforcement prior to the death.
Findings
Oklahoma SAC staff reported 38 qualifying deaths for
2011, representing a 90% increase. Eight deaths
occurred in the first quarter, 11 occurred in the second
quarter, 12 in the third quarter, and seven in the fourth
quarter.
Demographics
The average age of the individuals was 34 - the youngest
was 20 and the oldest was 59. All but one of the
individuals was male. Twenty-five individuals were white,
nine were black, three were Hispanic, and one was
American Indian. Thirteen deaths occurred in Oklahoma
County; seven in Tulsa County; three in Cleveland
County; two in Pushmataha County and Garvin County;
and one in Canadian, Noble, Stephens, Greer, Delaware,
Rogers, Marshall, Wagoner, Woodward, Grady, and
Cherokee counties. Seventeen of the deaths occurred in
Oklahoma City (10) and Tulsa (7), Oklahoma’s two
largest cities.
Manner of Death
The Oklahoma Office of the Chief Medical Examiner is
responsible for determining manner of death for all
sudden, violent, unexpected, or suspicious deaths. While
there may be multiple causes of death listed on an
autopsy report, there can be only one manner of death:
natural, accident, suicide, homicide, or unknown.
For 2011, the manner of death of those reported to BJS
included 14 homicides, 11 suicides, and eight accidents.
In addition, the medical examiner ruled one death as
“natural” and two deaths as “unknown.” Autopsy reports
were unavailable for two deaths (see table 1).
Events Surrounding the Death
The following two tables provide descriptive data on the
location of death and behaviors exhibited by the individual
prior to his or her death.
Ninety-six percent of deaths occurred at the crime/arrest
scene, while two percent of the deaths occurred at a