Factors associated with civilian and police officer injury during 10 years of officer-involved shooting incidents.

BACKGROUND: Previous officer-involved shooting (OIS) research has focused primarily on antecedents to fatal shootings, with few studies investigating injury more broadly. Our study examined the factors associated with fatal or non-fatal injury to both civilians and officers during OIS incidents, to better understand how harm might be reduced in the most extreme law enforcement scenarios. METHODS: Data included 281 officers involved in 177 unique shooting incidents recorded by Dallas Police Department between 2005 and 2015. Bivariate logistic regression and multivariable generalised estimation equation analyses were used to investigate incident characteristics associated with fatal or non-fatal injury to civilians and officers. RESULTS: Civilian injury occurred in 61% and officer injury in 14% of unique OIS incidents. In adjusted models, multiple shooting officers increased the odds of injury to both civilians (adjusted OR (AOR): 3.22, 95% CI 1.39 to 7.50) and officers (AOR 4.73, 95% CI 1.64 to 13.65). Odds of civilian injury were also significantly higher during the daytime and among non-Hispanic white compared with non-Hispanic black and Hispanic/Latina/o civilians, although a majority of OIS incidents (79%) involved non-Hispanic black or Hispanic/Latino/a civilians. Odds of officer injury were significantly higher for detectives compared with patrol (AOR=9.32, 95% CI 1.85 to 47.03) and during off-duty versus on-duty shootings (AOR=5.23, 95% CI 1.37 to 19.99). CONCLUSIONS: Both civilians and officers are at risk for injury during OIS incidents, though to different degrees and with unique risk factors. Additional research is needed to understand whether these results are replicated elsewhere and to further understand the mechanisms of injury.

Electronic Nicotine Delivery Systems Marketing and Initiation Among Youth and Young Adults.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: Electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) have become the most popular tobacco products among young people, yet ENDS marketing remains unregulated, and its effects on ENDS use behavior across age groups is poorly understood. In this study, using a longitudinal design, we examined how recall of ENDS marketing through 5 different channels predicted subsequent ENDS initiation up to 2.5 years later among youth (ages 12-17 years) and young adults (ages 18-29 years). METHODS: Data were drawn from 2 large cohort studies in Texas. The analysis included school-going youth (n = 2288) and college-going young adults (n = 2423) who reported never having used ENDS at baseline in 2014. Logistic regression was used to assess the influence of recalled ENDS marketing exposure via television (TV), radio or Internet radio, billboards, retail stores, and the Internet on subsequent ENDS initiation, with adjustment for these channels, baseline sociodemographics, other past-30-day tobacco use, sensation seeking, and peer ENDS use. RESULTS: Recall of retail store-based ENDS marketing at baseline was associated with significantly higher odds of subsequent ENDS initiation among youth (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] = 1.99; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.25-3.17) and young adults (aOR = 1.30; 95% CI: 1.05-1.61) up to 2.5 years later. Young adult initiation was also associated with recalled ENDS marketing on TV at baseline (aOR = 1.29; 95% CI: 1.03-1.63). CONCLUSIONS: Marketing of ENDS at retail stores predicts youth and young adult ENDS initiation, and marketing on TV predicts young adult initiation. Future research and regulation should be used to address the most influential marketing channels.

Does military veteran status and deployment history impact officer involved shootings? A case-control study.

BACKGROUND: Despite veterans' preference hiring policies by law enforcement agencies, no studies have examined the nature or effects of military service or deployments on health outcomes. This study will examine the effect of military veteran status and deployment history on law enforcement officer (LEO)-involved shootings. METHODS: Ten years of data were extracted from Dallas Police Department records. LEOs who were involved in a shooting in the past 10 years were frequency matched on sex to LEOs never involved in a shooting. Military discharge records were examined to quantify veteran status and deployment(s). Multivariable logistic regression was used to estimate the effect of veteran status and deployment history on officer-involved shooting involvement. RESULTS: Records were abstracted for 516 officers. In the adjusted models, veteran LEOs who were not deployed were significantly more likely to be involved in a shooting than non-veteran officers. Veterans with a deployment history were 2.9 times more likely to be in a shooting than non-veteran officers. CONCLUSIONS: Military veteran status, regardless of deployment history, is associated with increased odds of shootings among LEOs. Future studies should identify mechanisms that explain this relationship, and whether officers who experienced firsthand combat exposure experience greater odds of shooting involvement.