AT A GLANCE
A comprehensive database of fatal police shootings in the United States, compiled and maintained by The Washington Post since January 2015. Updated regularly to track every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer.
Key Highlights:
- Source: The Washington Post investigative database
- Period: January 2015 – present (regularly updated)
- Records: Every documented fatal police shooting by on-duty officers
- Variables: Victim demographics, circumstances, weapon involvement, case status, location
- Purpose: Accountability and transparency in policing
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Washington Post created this database to increase accountability of police agencies by systematically documenting fatal shooting incidents. Data is compiled from news reports, public records, social media, and law enforcement websites.
Research Applications:
- Policing practices and use-of-force analysis
- Racial disparities in law enforcement outcomes
- Temporal and spatial trends in police shootings
- Public safety policy reform evaluation
Subject Terms: police shootings, use of force, law enforcement, racial disparities, public safety, policing, United States
SCOPE & METHODOLOGY
- Geographic Coverage: United States
- Smallest Geographic Unit: City / incident location
- Time Period: January 2015 – present
- Universe: All fatal police shootings by on-duty officers in the U.S.
- Unit of Observation: Individual shooting incident
- Data Type: Administrative records — media-compiled data
Data Collection: Compiled by The Washington Post through news reports, public records, social media, and law enforcement websites. Every fatal shooting by an on-duty police officer is tracked and documented.
CITATION
University of Maryland, College of Behavioral and Social Sciences [distributor]. Crime on Washington Post. Originally compiled by The Washington Post. BSOS Social Science Data Repository, 2026. https://bsos-data.umd.edu/dataset/crime-on-washington-post
FILES & DOCUMENTATION
Available:
- readme_wapo_crime (DOCX)
- codebook_wapo_crime (XLSX)
- data_wapo_crime (XLSX)
Planned Additions:
- Data Dictionary — Coding schemes for armed status, flee behavior, mental illness indicators