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And the law relaxed the rules. A quasi-experimental study of fatal police shootings in Europe

Author

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  • Sebastian Roché

    (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble-UGA - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes, IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble-UGA - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)

  • Simon Varaine

    (PACTE - Pacte, Laboratoire de sciences sociales - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes - IEPG - Sciences Po Grenoble-UGA - Institut d'études politiques de Grenoble - UGA - Université Grenoble Alpes)

  • Paul Le Derff

    (CED - Centre Émile Durkheim - IEP Bordeaux - Sciences Po Bordeaux - Institut d'études politiques de Bordeaux - UB - Université de Bordeaux - CNRS - Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique)

Abstract

Can the behavior of civil servants with a large autonomy, the police, be regulated by law? In the case of the use of deadly force, the subject remains understudied in Europe. A 2017 law in France relaxed restrictions and allowed for the first time the national police to use weapons beyond self-defense. This quasi-experimental study examines the impact that this regulatory change, used as an exogenous shock, has had on the number of deaths of occupants of vehicles. The monthly number of killings has significantly increased for the national police (experimental group), who are directly affected by the new regulation, but not other forces unaffected by the regulation such as the French gendarmerie, a military status force (control group 1), and other police forces of two neighboring states (Germany, Belgium, control group 2 and 3). The findings hold after controlling for the variations in level of violence in society, and police exposure to and death in dangerous traffic violations during the study period. When using more conservative specifications, the observed increase in lethal shootings does not reach statistical significance due to a lack of statistical power related to the rarity of police lethal shootings in the European context. We recommend that national regulations governing the use of weapons by police more clearly and unambiguously embed the notions of proportionality and absolute necessity.

Suggested Citation

  • Sebastian Roché & Simon Varaine & Paul Le Derff, 2025. "And the law relaxed the rules. A quasi-experimental study of fatal police shootings in Europe," Post-Print halshs-05120493, HAL.
    • Handle: RePEc:hal:journl:halshs-05120493
    DOI: 10.1016/j.irle.2025.106282
    Note: View the original document on HAL open archive server: https://shs.hal.science/halshs-05120493v1
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    References listed on IDEAS

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    1. David Klinger, 2020. "Organizational Accidents and Deadly Police-Involved Violence: Some Thoughts on Extending Theory, Expanding Research, and Improving Police Practice," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 687(1), pages 28-48, January.
    2. Franklin E. Zimring, 2020. "Police Killings as a Problem of Governance," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 687(1), pages 114-123, January.
    3. Albert J. Reiss JR, 1980. "Controlling Police Use of Deadly Force," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 452(1), pages 122-134, November.
    4. Marshall W. Meyer, 1980. "Police Shootings at Minorities: The Case of Los Angeles," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 452(1), pages 98-110, November.
    5. John Van Maanen, 1980. "Beyond Account: The Personal Impact of Police Shootings," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 452(1), pages 145-156, November.
    6. Lawrence W. Sherman, 2020. "Preventing Avoidable Deaths in Police Encounters with Citizens: Immediate Priorities," The ANNALS of the American Academy of Political and Social Science, , vol. 687(1), pages 216-226, January.
    7. Fyfe, James J., 1979. "Administrative interventions on police shooting discretion: An empirical examination," Journal of Criminal Justice, Elsevier, vol. 7(4), pages 309-323.
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