De-fanged

Abstract

Police canine (K-9) deployments resulting in bites are a use-of-force that generates public concern, yet few studies have directly examined what factors are associated with the public's perceptions of these encounters. Using a factorial vignette survey experiment with a national sample, we find that the presence of a suspect weapon, the suspect's behavior, and the severity of the bite are significant predictors of perceived reasonableness. Race of the suspect, by contrast, does not independently predict public perceptions.