Police shootings, or, when law enforcement officers shoot and kill criminal suspects, have been studied in metropolitan Dade County from 1956 to 1982. A total of 194 cases have been studied and analyzed according to age, race, sex, Spanish surname, alcohol and/or drugs detected at autopsy, and prior criminal arrest record of the victim. The reason(s) for the shooting and any agencies involved have also been noted. Finally, an appendix is included that provides guidelines for the forensic pathologist on how to approach a case.