Suicidal Intent in Victim-Precipitated Homicide: Insights from the Study of “Suicide-by-Cop”

4 decades ago, Marvin Wolfgang offered one of the most influential concepts in contemporary criminology when he coined the term “victim-precipitated homicide”. Whereas criminologists have largely ignored Wolfgang’s ideas about suicidal homicide victims, others have noted the presence of suicidal intent among victims of one specific sort of violence: police gunfire. The present article uses suicide-by-cop as a platform to demonstrate how attention to Wolfgang’s ideas about suicidal victims can enhance understanding of interpersonal violence. (38 refs.)