Table 3.
Participants demographic information.
| Total n (%) | Group A-S n (%) | Group S-A n (%) | Group A-H n (%) | Group H-A n (%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total | 252 | 64 | 72 | 54 | 62 |
| Title | |||||
| Coroner | 3 (1.2) | 0 (0) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (1.9) | 0 (0) |
| Medical examiner | 35 (13.9) | 6 (9.4) | 12 (16.7) | 5 (9.3) | 12 (19.4) |
| Forensic pathologist | 39 (15.5) | 8 (12.5) | 9 (12.5) | 14 (25.9) | 8 (12.9) |
| Death investigator | 9 (3.6) | 4 (6.3) | 1 (1.4) | 2 (3.7) | 2 (3.2) |
| Othera | 11 (4.4) | 4 (6.3) | 1 (1.4) | 3 (5.6) | 3 (4.8) |
| Medical examiner & Forensic pathologist | 44 (17.5) | 15 (23.4) | 10 (13.9) | 8 (14.8) | 11 (17.7) |
| Multiple titleb | 10 (4.0) | 4 (6.3) | 2 (2.8) | 1 (1.9) | 3 (4.8) |
| No answer | 101 (40.1) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 20 (37.0) | 23 (37.1) |
| Sex | |||||
| Male | 79 (31.3) | 25 (39.1) | 18 (25.0) | 17 (31.5) | 19 (30.6) |
| Female | 64 (25.4) | 14 (21.9) | 18 (25.0) | 16 (29.6) | 16 (25.8) |
| Prefer not to answer | 7 (2.8) | 2 (3.1) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (1.9) | 3 (4.8) |
| No answer | 102 (40.5) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 20 (37.0) | 24 (38.7) |
| Education | |||||
| High school | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Some college associates | 2 (0.8) | 2 (3.1) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Bachelors | 10 (4.0) | 6 (9.4) | 1 (1.4) | 3 (5.6) | 0 (0) |
| Masters | 7 (2.8) | 1 (1.6) | 2 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 4 (6.5) |
| PhD | 3 (1.2) | 2 (3.1) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| MD | 103 (40.9) | 24 (37.5) | 30 (41.7) | 23 (42.6) | 26 (41.9) |
| Prefer not to answer | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| Otherc | 8 (3.2) | 4 (6.3) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0) | 3 (4.8) |
| Combinedd | 22 (8.7) | 2 (3.1) | 3 (4.2) | 9 (16.7) | 8 (12.9) |
| No answer | 97 (38.5) | 23 (35.9) | 34 (47.2) | 19 (35.2) | 21 (33.9) |
| What is the total number of years of experience in medicolegal death investigation? | |||||
| 1–10 years | 46 (18.3) | 9 (14.1) | 14 (19.4) | 10 (18.5) | 13 (21.0) |
| 11–20 years | 41 (16.3) | 8 (12.5) | 7 (9.7) | 13 (24.1) | 13 (21.0) |
| 21–30 years | 35 (13.9) | 14 (21.9) | 8 (11.1) | 7 (13.0) | 6 (9.7) |
| 31 years or more | 24 (9.5) | 8 (12.5) | 7 (9.7) | 4 (7.4) | 5 (8.1) |
| No answer | 106 (42.1) | 25 (39.1) | 36 (50.0) | 20 (37.0) | 25 (40.3) |
| What is the total number of years of experience in your current position? | |||||
| 0–10 years | 93 (36.9) | 20 (31.3) | 23 (31.9) | 24 (44.4) | 26 (41.9) |
| 11–20 years | 33 (13.1) | 8 (12.5) | 8 (11.1) | 8 (14.8) | 9 (14.5) |
| 21–30 years | 11 (4.4) | 7 (10.9) | 2 (2.8) | 0 (0) | 2 (3.2) |
| 31 years or more | 6 (2.4) | 2 (3.1) | 3 (4.2) | 1 (1.9) | 0 (0) |
| No answer | 109 (43.3) | 27 (42.2) | 36 (50.0) | 21 (38.9) | 25 (40.3) |
| How many examinations involving firearm(s) having you conducted within the last month? | |||||
| 0-5 | 74 (29.4) | 18 (28.1) | 18 (25.0) | 17 (31.5) | 21 (33.9) |
| 6-14 | 50 (19.8) | 12 (18.8) | 14 (19.4) | 12 (22.2) | 12 (19.4) |
| >14 | 18 (7.1) | 6 (9.4) | 4 (5.6) | 5 (9.3) | 3 (4.8) |
| Other | 8 (3.2) | 5 (7.8) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0) | 2 (3.2) |
| No answer | 102 (40.5) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 20 (37.0) | 24 (38.7) |
|
Did law enforcement officers Attend and view autopsies of all firearm deaths? | |||||
| Yes | 31 (12.3) | 11 (17.2) | 9 (12.5) | 4 (7.4) | 7 (11.3) |
| No | 11 (4.4) | 2 (3.1) | 2 (2.8) | 5 (9.3) | 2 (3.2) |
| No, only firearm deaths where the manner is suspected to be homicide | 25 (9.9) | 6 (9.4) | 6 (8.3) | 8 (14.8) | 5 (8.1) |
| No, only firearm deaths where the manner is suspected to be suicide | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) |
| No, only in firearm deaths where the manner is not clear | 2 (0.8) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.4) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.6) |
| No, only attend selected firearm -related autopsies depending on circumstances |
51 (20.2) | 12 (18.8) | 13 (18.1) | 10 (18.5) | 16 (25.8) |
| Not applicable | 1 (0.4) | 0 (0) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.9) | 0 (0) |
| Multiplee | 22 (8.7) | 5 (7.8) | 6 (8.3) | 5 (9.3) | 6 (9.7) |
| Otherf | 11 (4.4) | 5 (7.8) | 0 (0) | 2 (3.7) | 4 (6.5) |
| No answer | 98 (38.9) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 19 (35.2) | 21 (33.9) |
| Are you responsible for assigning manner of death on the death certificates? | |||||
| Yes | 104 (41.3) | 21 (32.8) | 30 (41.7) | 27 (50.0) | 26 (41.9) |
| No | 36 (14.3) | 15 (23.4) | 6 (8.3) | 5 (9.3) | 10 (16.1) |
| Not applicable | 4 (1.6) | 2 (3.1) | 0 (0) | 1 (1.9) | 1 (1.6) |
| Other | 7 (2.8) | 3 (4.7) | 1 (1.4) | 1 (1.9) | 2 (3.2) |
| No answer | 101 (40.1) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 20 (37.0) | 23 (37.1) |
| Who carries out the role of death investigator in your agency? | |||||
| Law enforcement | 13 (5.2) | 3 (4.7) | 7 (9.7) | 0 (0) | 3 (4.8) |
| ABMDI qualified death investigator | 83 (32.9) | 20 (31.3) | 17 (23.6) | 20 (37.0) | 26 (41.9) |
| Multipleg | 30 (11.9) | 9 (14.1) | 7 (9.7) | 9 (16.7) | 5 (8.1) |
| Coroner | 8 (3.2) | 3 (4.7) | 1 (1.4) | 2 (3.7) | 2 (3.2) |
| Otherh | 17 (6.7) | 6 (9.4) | 5 (6.9) | 3 (5.6) | 3 (4.8) |
| No answer | 101 (40.1) | 23 (35.9) | 35 (48.6) | 20 (37.0) | 23 (37.1) |
Other includes forensic anthropologist, forensic veterinarian, administrator/forensic anthropologist, retired coroner, retired forensic pathologist, retired medical examiner, forensic pathologist in training.
Multiple title includes coroner & forensic pathologist, coroner & medical examiner, coroner & forensic pathologist & death investigator, coroner & medical examiner & forensic pathologist, coroner & death investigator, death investigator & director of operations, death investigator & autopsy assistant, and law enforcement & other title.
Other includes DO, FRCPA.
Combined education level includes Master's & MD, Master's & PhD, High school & Bachelor's, High school & Bachelor's & MD, Some college associates & Master's, Bachelor's & Master's, Master's & PhD & MD, High School & DO, High School & Doctor of Veterinary Medicine, PhD & MD.
Multiple includes law enforcement officers will attend autopsies if manner is suspected to be homicide & not clear or depends on circumstances or other manner of death.
Other includes law enforcement agency, projectile retrieval in police use of force investigations where an officer has shot a dog.
Multiple includes law enforcement & ABMDI, or law enforcement & coroner, or ABMDI & coroner, or ABMDI qualified death investigator & not ABMDI qualified death investigator.
Other includes consultant, forensic pathologist, medical examiners, death investigator, in house investigator, non-pathologist physician, M.