ABSTRACT

This article examines the police use of lethal force against American citizens from the perspective of families affected by these deaths. It is based on qualitative research undertaken with family members who lost loved ones after police contact in the United States. The article examines how organizational practices and cultures are perceived to enable the use of lethal force, and how multiple narratives are employed to legitimize its use in the aftermath of a citizen’s death. It considers how procedural justice might provide a framework that enables an understanding of how these deaths are perceived by sections of US society. Key findings are that families believe police uses lethal force with relative impunity due to an aggressive mindset and a lack of effective regulation. The article further finds that symbolic legitimation strategies reward officers for using lethal force, and denigrate the deceased enabling these deaths to be classified as justified.

摘要

本文从受这些死亡影响的家庭的角度考察了警察对美国公民使用致命武力的情况。它基于对与美国警察接触后失去亲人的家庭成员进行的定性研究。本文探讨了如何看待组织惯例和文化以实现致命武力的使用，以及如何在公民死亡后采用多种叙述方式使致命武力合法化。它考虑了程序正义如何提供一个框架，使人们能够理解美国社会各阶层对这些死亡的看法。主要发现是，家庭认为，由于进取心态和缺乏有效的监管，警察使用致命武力而不受惩罚。