The connection between police use of deadly force and the
criminal homicide rate has long been recognized in the literature. Despite
some attempts, this correlation has not been explained well. Recent
research efforts suggests that structural characteristics of cities are a key
determinant to explaining this phenomenon. However, this study suggests
that research has underestimated the importance of the temporal
relationship of particular types of criminal homicides with police use of
deadly force. Rather, police use of deadly force can best be understood
through a 'keactive hypothesis "version of the danger perception theory that
takes into account the perceived risk of situations police oflcers encounter.
Through a time series analysis of the Supplement Homicide Report (S.H.R)
data over an eleven year period, we confirm this hypothesis. The results
further confirm, on a national level the temporal connection between
predatory crime and police use of deadly force. The implications for policy and future research are discussed.