David A. Klinger is Associate Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Missouri-St. Louis. He holds a BA in History from Seattle Pacific University, an MA in Justice from American University in Washington, D.C. and a Ph.D. in Sociology from the University of Washington in Seattle. Prior to pursuing his graduate degrees, Professor Klinger worked for three and one-half years as a patrol officer for the Los Angeles and Redmond (WA) Police Departments. He has held research positions at the Police Foundation in Washington, D.C.; the University of Washington, Seattle; the Washington State's Attorney's Office; and the Seattle Police Department.

According to the book description of David Klinger’s book “What's it like to have official sanction to shoot and kill? In his often startling and sure to be controversial new book, David Klinger who himself shot and killed a suspect during his first year as an officer on the Los Angles Police Department answers this and many other questions about what it's like to live and work in the place where police officers have to make split-second decisions about life and death: The Kill Zone. Based on interviews that Klinger, now a university professor, conducted with scores of officers from around the nation who have shot people in the course of their duties, Into the Kill Zone tells readers about how police officers are trained to use their firearms, what happens when cops find themselves face-to-face with dangerous criminals, the excruciating decisions they have to make to shoot or to hold their fire, and how they deal with the consequences of their choices. From academy training to post-shooting reactions, Into the Kill Zone tells the compelling story of the role that deadly force plays in the lives of America's cops.”