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By Invitation Only
By Invitation Only
Law Enforcement Only
Law Enforcement Only

    Workshop

    Public Information Officers

    Community Perceptions of Police Use of Deadly Force Incidents: The Role of Demographics

    Tuesday, October 21, 2025
    4:00 PM - 5:00 PM MT
    Location: Mile High Ballroom 4CD, Colorado Convention Center
    Despite high-profile cases suggesting a decline in public trust in law enforcement, limited research has examined public perceptions of police use-of-deadly-force incidents that align with established policies and training. In collaboration with law enforcement and criminal justice experts, the study team selected five publicly available videos of real-world, police-initiated citizen encounters involving “justified” uses of deadly force. Community members were randomly shown these videos via an online survey. Although data collection is ongoing, preliminary results indicate that gender and prior law enforcement experience did not influence justification ratings, whereas political views did. Findings will be discussed within the broader context of an expert panel composed of law enforcement and legal professionals.