Deaths occurring in police stations or while in police custody are tracked separately by several U.S. agencies. In fiscal year 2022, there were 483 deaths in federal custody, according to the Bureau of Justice Statistics. The majority (74%) of these deaths were due to natural causes or illnesses (including HIV/AIDS), while accidents accounted for 11%. Suicides made up a smaller proportion of deaths in custody[4].
Arrest-related deaths, which include those occurring during or soon after arrest and sometimes at police stations, were also recorded—120 such deaths in federal cases were noted in fiscal year 2022. In almost half of these cases, the individual was being served a warrant. Violent offenses were the most common alleged offense linked to the decedents (50%). In 43% of these deaths, law enforcement officers discharged their firearms[4].
Demographic analysis shows that among those who died in custody in 2022, 96% were male, 63% white, and 31% black. The most frequent underlying offenses were drug violations (29%), followed by weapons (20%) and sex offenses (19%)[4].
Deaths in custody can also occur in local police stations and jails. Some additional data show that between 2010 and 2019 in California, the proportion of county jail deaths increased over the decade. The dominant causes for in-custody deaths remain natural causes, illness, and drug or alcohol intoxication, with a lesser but persistent number due to suicide or use-of-force incidents[8].
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