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Sudden In-Custody Death

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TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law

“Sudden in-custody death” does not have a formal medical definition. But the general term “sudden death” is used medically to describe the rapid, unexpected death of an individual within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms. It follows then that sudden in-custody death refers to rapid, unexpected death during detention of individuals by law enforcement or public safety personnel. This term comprises the vast majority of “arrest-related” deaths (the preferred term in criminology literature) which include the fairly rare fatal police shootings [1].

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Professor, University of California, Los Angeles School of Public Health and the David Geffen School of Medicine at the University of California, Los Angeles

    Samuel J. Stratton

  2. Medical Director, Health Disaster Management/Emergency Medical Services Orange County Health Care Agency, Disaster

    Samuel J. Stratton

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  1. Samuel J. Stratton
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Correspondence to Samuel J. Stratton .

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    Stratton, S.J. (2009). Sudden In-Custody Death. In: Ho, J., Kroll, M. (eds) TASER® Conducted Electrical Weapons: Physiology, Pathology, and Law. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85475-5_25

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    • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-0-387-85475-5_25

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    • Online ISBN: 978-0-387-85475-5

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