Date
1-14-2026
Department
School of Behavioral Sciences
Degree
Doctor of Education in Community Care and Counseling (EdD)
Chair
Thomas Hudgins
Keywords
line-of-duty deaths, police leadership, transformational leadership; trauma; organizational resilience, critical incident stress; social constructivism; qualitative research; COVID-19 and policing; Ferguson effect; police psychology
Disciplines
Counseling | Psychology
Recommended Citation
Cary, Elizabeth A., "A Phenomenological Study of the Personal and Professional Experiences of U.S. Police Leaders Who Led Their Agency Through a Line-of-Duty Death" (2026). Doctoral Dissertations and Projects. 7879.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/doctoral/7879
Abstract
The purpose of this phenomenological study was to describe the personal and professional experiences of police leaders from across the United States who led their agencies through line-of-duty deaths (LODD). The social constructivist worldview guided this study as Creswell and Poth (2025) suggest that it captures complicated and multifaceted subjective meanings of individuals. Transformational leadership theory was the lens through which this research was conducted. Police leaders are faced with personnel, political, societal, and generational challenges following the events of Ferguson, George Floyd, the COVID-19 pandemic. This is on top of the already stressful and traumatic work police officers face daily. How does one lead effectively with these existing challenges when the earth-shattering event of a line-of-duty death occurs at their agency? Findings of this research reflect the voices of leaders who navigated the unimaginable, likening the experience to that of the loss of child. It was the most horrific event the leaders ever faced and pressed them to accept support and guidance because they could not navigate the LODD alone. Pre-established relationships with subordinates, peers, and other leaders proved necessary for survival, as did their relationship with God in many cases. An LODD will occur, and denial of the possibility will leave a leader ill-equipped in the most critical hour when their strength is needed most. Findings of this research provide a deeper understanding of the psychological impacts of an LODD on a police leader and the challenges they faced in the most complex leadership event of their careers.
