Frequency of neck organ fractures in hanging.

This study is a retrospective analysis of 307 accidental and suicidal hangings for the presence or absence of neck organ fractures. Approximately 9% of cases showed such fractures. This is in agreement with one prior study and in disagreement with others. The factor most likely to be predictive of fractures is advanced age. Gender, height of suspension, and ligature type do not seem to be of predictive value.     

Herniation of the heart. A death following intrapericardial pneumonectomy

A case is presented involving a patient who underwent an intrapericardial pneumonectomy for lung cancer and died of cerebral hypoxia due to herniation of the heart. The etiology and pathophysiology of cardiac herniation are reviewed.     

Suicide by Cop Among Officer-Involved Shooting Cases

Abstract: The frequency and characteristics of suicide by cop cases (SBC) among a large (n = 707) nonrandom sample of North American officer-involved shootings (OIS) were investigated. “Suicide by cop” is when a subject engages in behavior which poses an apparent risk of serious injury or death, with the intent to precipitate the use of deadly force by law enforcement against the subject. Thirty-six percent of the OIS in this sample were found to be SBC with high interrater agreement (intraclass correlation coefficient = 0.93) for category classification. SBC cases were more likely to result in the death or injury of the subjects than regular OIS cases. Most SBC cases were spontaneous, but had clear verbal and behavioral indicators that occurred prior to, and during the event. Findings confirm the trend detected in earlier research that there was a growing incidence of SBC among OIS. SBC individuals had a high likelihood of possessing a weapon (80%), which was a firearm 60% of the time. Half of those with a firearm discharged it at the police during the encounter. Nineteen percent simulated weapon possession to accomplish their suicidal intent. Other findings highlight the histories and commonalities in this high risk group.