copicide

copicide

English

Etymology

cop +‎ -cide

Noun

copicide (plural copicides)

1. (informal) A method of suicide in which a person deliberately behaves in a threatening manner to provoke a police officer into shooting them.
   • 1999, E. J. Montini, "Prosecuting Mentally Ill Is Insane", The Arizona Republic, 20 June 1999 (reprinted in the Observer-Reporter, 4 July 1999):

     Carrie told a police negotiator she didn't have the nerve to shoot herself. Later, she'd tell psychiatrist Gwen Levitt she was hoping to commit what the police call "copicide," in which a suicidal person gets the police to shoot him or her.

2. (informal) The act of killing a police officer.
   • 1992, "It's getting late", Spy, October 1992:

     More weird media excretion: Time Warner homey Ice-T can't say enough nice things about the Man, his employer. Time Warner executives were so supportive during his recent difficulties, he says. They were exceptionally supportive of his totally private and personal decision to recall his ode to copicide from record stores.

Synonyms

• (suicide by provoking a police officer to shoot): death by cop, suicide by cop