This report presents data on the threat or use of nonfatal force by police against white, black, and Hispanic residents during police contact. It describes —
- characteristics of the contact;
- type of force threatened or used;
- perceptions that force was excessive or the police behaved properly during the contact;
- trends in the threat or use of force;
- officer and driver race and Hispanic origin in traffic stops involving the threat or use of force.
The threat or use of nonfatal force included shouting, cursing, threatening, pushing or grabbing, hitting or kicking, using pepper spray, using an electroshock weapon, pointing a gun, or using other force.
The experiences reported are based on average annual estimates from the BJS 2002, 2005, 2008, and 2011 Police-Public Contact Surveys (PPCS), a sample self-report survey of U.S. residents age 16 or older. They do not include data from police records. The PPCS is the only national source of data on the use of nonfatal force and excessive force by police.