Force Science Institute

Destroying Myths & Discovering Cold Facts

The Force Science Institute is a cutting-edge organization that uses sophisticated time-and-motion measurements to document critical hidden truths about the mental and physical dynamics of life-threatening events, particularly officer-involved shootings. By agreement with Police1 Editorial Advisory Board member Dr. Bill Lewinski, who also serves as the center's executive director, this column shares news and articles on the Center's findings and other topics of interest related to police use of force.

Contact Bill Lewinski

Full list of Force Science Institute results

Understanding key factors for police de-escalation of potential suicides
–

The purpose of suicide intervention is not to solve the person’s crisis but effectively transition them from a street critical incident to treatment
How an LE agency 'educates' prosecutors about OIS realities
–

With an officer’s future at stake, how does a prosecutor get proficient at fairly analyzing the situation in a hurry?
What changing the UOF standard would mean to cops
–

A state legislator plans to introduce a bill to change the legal standard for LE in California from using “objectively reasonable force” to “necessary force”
Study: How race, clothes and demeanor influence police officer behavior
–

A research team compared how behavior and visible characteristics influence whether officers escalate or de-escalate street confrontations
Study: Analyzing the stand-up speed of proned-out suspects
–

A proned-out suspect still presents significant potential danger and officers should remain vigilant
10 ways to lose police lawsuits
–

There are many ways police officers and agencies sabotage themselves before they walk into a civil courtroom; here’s the top 10
New court decision: Must de-escalation be tried first before force?
–

A three-judge appellate panel addressed issues of growing concern to street officers amid the current demands for de-escalation of force in complex encounters
Should cops see body cam video before giving use-of-force statements?
–

Departments must actively educate communities about the surprising realities of video footage
New Washington State University study: Even tired cops are more hesitant to shoot black suspects
–

A new study concludes that officers tend not to be biased against black suspects in resorting to deadly force, even when fatigued and thus potentially more vulnerable to making angry, irrational, and impulsive decisions
8 'key findings' from new study on killing of unarmed suspects
–

Nearly 300 pages of the In Context: Understanding Police Killings of Unarmed Citizens are devoted to describing and dissecting the 153 fatalities, one by one, month by month throughout the year
CEWs and non-violent resisters: A court weighs “excessive force”
–

Attorney Laura Scarry says that law enforcement trainers to develop effective tactics that do not involve pain compliance for controlling subjects who are resistant, mentally ill, but not violent toward others
Does voice-based technology really improve driving concentration?
–

Vocal interactions impose a detrimental burden on the brain that lingers on even after a given task has ended
Sudden cardiac death: Mysteries persist despite new study
–

As this new study shows, sudden cardiac death syndrome often has no clear pathological mechanism or no obvious anatomical or toxicological basis
3 keys for maximizing the value of video footage
–

Getting maximum value from video of a controversial use-of-force encounter may require more than just viewing raw footage as it comes from the camera. In fact, three extra steps are often the keys ...
Think tank author: Payoff from anti-police attitude is societal havoc
–

In an article titled “Welcome to Post-Ferguson Policing” in the online version of the conservative magazine National Review, Heather MacDonald writes about the issue of deadly hesitation
Load More