James Fyfe
Encyclopedia
James J. Fyfe was a well-known criminologist
-- a leading authority on the police use of force and police accountability—and a police administrator.
His research on the police use of deadly force has been cited extensively, most notably in the 1985 Supreme Court case of Tennessee v. Garner
, in which the Court ruled as unconstitutional police department policies that allow officers to shoot to kill "fleeing felons" who do not pose an immediate danger to the community. The Supreme Court cited his dissertation in its majority opinion.
Fyfe had risen to the rank of lieutenant with the New York Police Department and in 1978, after 15 years of service with the NYPD, earned a PhD
in Criminal Justice
from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA).
He became a professor of criminal justice
at American University
in Washington, D.C.
(1979-92), then at Temple University
in Philadelphia (1992-99), and finally at John Jay College of the City University of New York. (1999-2005), where he was appointed distinguished professor in 2002. He wrote hundreds of scholarly and popular newspaper articles and regularly appeared on media outlets discussing police practices.
During those years, he also served as an expert witness in lawsuits against the police, researching and testifying in over 500 cases on behalf of the police or against them. He worked on such well-known police misconduct cases as the Tracey Thurman case (police response to domestic violence), a series of cases challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's use of a "Special Investigations" squad (which resulted in a finding of personal liability on the part of Chief Daryl Gates,) the Jeffrey Daumer case (in which Milwaukee police did not respond to the serial murderer's victimization of a young immigrant boy,) the Ruby Ridge shooting, a series of cases from Philadelphia, and hundreds of others in which police use of deadly force was at issue. Perhaps the most controversial of these was Fyfe's testimony in the Amadou Diallo case in New York City, which was a homicide prosecution of four officers who had shot and killed an unarmed West African immigrant. Fyfe testified on behalf of the officers, believing their state of mind and the performance of their semi-automatic weapons showed they were not criminally guilty. (They were acquitted.) Whether the NYPD itself should be held responsible in civil court for the program that put the officers on patrol under those rules was a different matter, and the Diallo family eventually received $1,000,000 as compensation. Such civil lawsuits seek to hold the police to a common standard of professionalism discernable in practices and procedures developed in good police departments nationwide. Fyfe regularly testified as to what those standards were, almost always as part of lawsuits charging police departments with operating under unconstitutional "custom, policy, or practice."
In 2002 he took a leave of absence from CUNY's John Jay College to become Deputy Commissioner for Training with the NYPD.
He died of cancer in 2005, aged 63. He had three daughters and three grandchildren.
Criminology
Criminology is the scientific study of the nature, extent, causes, and control of criminal behavior in both the individual and in society...
-- a leading authority on the police use of force and police accountability—and a police administrator.
His research on the police use of deadly force has been cited extensively, most notably in the 1985 Supreme Court case of Tennessee v. Garner
Tennessee v. Garner
Tennessee v. Garner, 471 U.S. 1 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that under the Fourth Amendment, when a law enforcement officer is pursuing a fleeing suspect, he or she may use deadly force only to prevent escape if the officer has probable cause to believe that...
, in which the Court ruled as unconstitutional police department policies that allow officers to shoot to kill "fleeing felons" who do not pose an immediate danger to the community. The Supreme Court cited his dissertation in its majority opinion.
Fyfe had risen to the rank of lieutenant with the New York Police Department and in 1978, after 15 years of service with the NYPD, earned a PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in Criminal Justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
from the State University of New York at Albany (SUNYA).
He became a professor of criminal justice
Criminal justice
Criminal Justice is the system of practices and institutions of governments directed at upholding social control, deterring and mitigating crime, or sanctioning those who violate laws with criminal penalties and rehabilitation efforts...
at American University
American University
American University is a private, Methodist, liberal arts, and research university in Washington, D.C. The university was chartered by an Act of Congress on December 5, 1892 as "The American University", which was approved by President Benjamin Harrison on February 24, 1893...
in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
(1979-92), then at Temple University
Temple University
Temple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
in Philadelphia (1992-99), and finally at John Jay College of the City University of New York. (1999-2005), where he was appointed distinguished professor in 2002. He wrote hundreds of scholarly and popular newspaper articles and regularly appeared on media outlets discussing police practices.
During those years, he also served as an expert witness in lawsuits against the police, researching and testifying in over 500 cases on behalf of the police or against them. He worked on such well-known police misconduct cases as the Tracey Thurman case (police response to domestic violence), a series of cases challenging the Los Angeles Police Department's use of a "Special Investigations" squad (which resulted in a finding of personal liability on the part of Chief Daryl Gates,) the Jeffrey Daumer case (in which Milwaukee police did not respond to the serial murderer's victimization of a young immigrant boy,) the Ruby Ridge shooting, a series of cases from Philadelphia, and hundreds of others in which police use of deadly force was at issue. Perhaps the most controversial of these was Fyfe's testimony in the Amadou Diallo case in New York City, which was a homicide prosecution of four officers who had shot and killed an unarmed West African immigrant. Fyfe testified on behalf of the officers, believing their state of mind and the performance of their semi-automatic weapons showed they were not criminally guilty. (They were acquitted.) Whether the NYPD itself should be held responsible in civil court for the program that put the officers on patrol under those rules was a different matter, and the Diallo family eventually received $1,000,000 as compensation. Such civil lawsuits seek to hold the police to a common standard of professionalism discernable in practices and procedures developed in good police departments nationwide. Fyfe regularly testified as to what those standards were, almost always as part of lawsuits charging police departments with operating under unconstitutional "custom, policy, or practice."
In 2002 he took a leave of absence from CUNY's John Jay College to become Deputy Commissioner for Training with the NYPD.
He died of cancer in 2005, aged 63. He had three daughters and three grandchildren.
Books
- Police Administration, 5th edition, with Jack R. Greene, William F. Walsh, O.W. Wilson, and Roy Clinton McLaren (1997)
- Above the Law: Police and the Excessive Use of Force, with Jerome Skolnick (1992)
- Police Practice in the '90s: Key Management Issues (1989)
- Readings on Police Use of Deadly Force (1982)
- Contemporary Issues in Law Enforcement (1981)