Pulling the trigger is something that no police officer wants to do, but an officer of the law is sent to serve and protect society, and is sworn to carry out these difficult duties. Unfortunately, shootings do occur and when they result in the death of a suspect, emotions erupt from all sides—the public, the news media, talk radio, families, friends, as well as the law enforcement community. Sides are taken. Opinions are abundant. Meanwhile, officers lose their lives in their attempts to enforce the law.

In Pulling the Trigger: A 25-Year Study of Deadly Force Encounters by Law Enforcement, Larry C. Brubaker takes a detailed look at what happens when a police officer is compelled to use deadly force and the effects that it has on all parties involved. Every discharge of a weapon in the line of duty in Minnesota is included, described, and documented for the years 1981 to 2005. Includes color photographs and index.

About the Author

While employed by the FBI, Larry C. Brubaker was assigned to numerous assignments and projects. He served as a crisis negotiator, an area rep to the FBI’s National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime, a charter member of the International Homicide Investigators Association, and as a member of the Investigators Association. Brubaker has taught various crime topic classes throughout the world and has been featured on National Public Radio, Primetime Live, 48 Hours, MSNBC News, Discovery Health Network, and Court TV. He currently has retired from the FBI and stays busy as a business owner and as an adjunct professor at three local universities.