This paper uses econometric methods and analysis to determine the influence of education on American police officers’ income and performance, with the goal to identify factors which may make officers more likely to use unjustified deadly force. Income is used as a measure of performance. Results of a multiple linear regression model indicate that police officers with a four-year college degree are predicted to earn significantly more than those with less than a high school education, when controlling for demographic factors. These results suggest that raising education standards for American police officers could positively influence their job performance.