Date

8-29-2025

Department

Helms School of Government

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Criminal Justice (PhD)

Chair

Marc Weiss

Keywords

federal law enforcement, active shooter incident, statutory authority, moral obligation

Disciplines

Political Science

Abstract

Following the 2022 tragedy at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas, where an armed assailant killed 21 people and injured 17 others, the U.S. Department of Justice released a critical incident review of the law enforcement response. Absent in the Justice Department’s response was an analysis of the lack of statutory law enforcement authority for the 150 federal law enforcement officers who responded to the school that day. This qualitative phenomenological study aims to examine federal law enforcement officers’ understanding of their statutory authority to exercise police powers. It sought to understand the decision-making process of federal law enforcement officers faced with situations where they feel a moral responsibility to take action to stop threats to life outside the scope of their statutory authority. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with federal law enforcement officers to examine their understanding of their authority and the decisions they make in situations where their authority is unclear. The study finds participants prioritized saving lives over statutes, driven by duty and responsibility. Participants also noted ambiguities in statutes and policies, recognizing the chasm between moral obligation, statutory constraints, and public perception. The study reveals that federal law enforcement officers face more than just physical dangers when responding to save lives during critical incidents that fall outside the scope of their statutory authority. Implications for lawmakers and agency leaders tasked with balancing the statutory authority of federal law enforcement officers with society’s expectations for them to act in situations where lives are at risk are also explored.

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