An Examination of Contagious Fire in Policing

The study reported on in the source article provides the first experimental evidence supporting the idea of “contagious fire” in policing (i.e., that officers are more likely to discharge their firearms and fire more rounds when exposed to gunfire from fellow officers). Officers exposed to simulated gunfire from peer officers were over 11 times more likely to fire their weapons compared to those not exposed. When officers did fire their weapons, those exposed to peer gunfire discharged approximately 72% more rounds than those not exposed. The timing of these shots also consistently occurred after peer officers began firing, confirming the “contagious” nature of the effect. These findings have significant implications for understanding multiple officer-involved shootings and highlight the need for targeted interventions in police training, tactics, and policies. The study underscores the importance of individual threat assessment and decision-making in multi-officer scenarios, even in the presence of auditory cues suggesting peer engagement.