Criminologist Dr. Rick Parent is a 30 year veteran of the Delta Police Department. While serving as a police officer he examined the issue of police use of deadly force and the phenomenon of Victim Precipitated Homicide, also known as Suicide by Cop. His dissertation, entitled "Aspects of Police Use of Deadly Force in North America: The Phenomenon of Victim Precipitated Homicide" was for a Doctoral degree in Criminology at Simon Fraser University.

Dr. Parent has been qualified in US and Canadian courts as an expert in police shootings and in matters related to police use of deadly force. He is currently an Assistant Professor at Simon Fraser University, School of Criminology - Police Studies.