Retrospective Review of Antecustodial Deaths Referred for Medicolegal Autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina.
Publication/Presentation Date
5-26-2023
Abstract
Deaths occurring in police custody have dominated public discourse over recent years. However, deaths occurring after law enforcement have initiated nonphysical contact but before active restraint or containment lie outside the strict definition of "in custody." These "antecustodial" deaths demonstrate a unique population and interaction with law enforcement. A retrospective analysis of medicolegal cases referred to the Medical University of South Carolina from September 1, 2012, to April 28, 2022 was performed. Deaths during nonphysical interaction with or during evasion of law enforcement occurred in 78 cases and were categorized by demographic data, cause of death, manner of death, the presence of drugs and/or alcohol, and circumstances surrounding the interaction. Antecustodial deaths occurred primarily during law enforcement pursuit and deescalation scenarios. Decedents were predominantly male (92.3%) with a Black-to-White ratio of 1.1:1. The average age of male and female decedents was 35.7 and 32.2 years, respectively. The most common causes of death were gunshot wounds and blunt trauma sustained in motor vehicle crashes. The most common manner of death was homicide (43.6%), followed by suicide (28.2%) and accident (28.2%).
ISSN
1533-404X
Published In/Presented At
Sullivan, C., Presnell, S. E., Madory, J. E., & Phillips, A. I. (2023). Retrospective Review of Antecustodial Deaths Referred for Medicolegal Autopsy at the Medical University of South Carolina. The American journal of forensic medicine and pathology, 10.1097/PAF.0000000000000838. Advance online publication. https://doi.org/10.1097/PAF.0000000000000838
Disciplines
Medicine and Health Sciences
PubMedID
37235866
Department(s)
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Document Type
Article