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FBI
In the Line of
Duty
2013 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted
November 24, 2014
27 killed; 49 accidental deaths; 49,851 assaulted
A Florida sheriff’s officer, responding to a report of a domestic
disturbance at a residence, was shot and killed by someone inside the
home. An Iowa police officer was shot and killed while attempting to
serve an arrest warrant. A Michigan state trooper was fatally shot
during a routine traffic stop. And a West Virginia sheriff was ambushed
and fatally shot in the head while he was eating his lunch in a marked
car.
According to the just-released Law Enforcement Officers Killed and
Assaulted (LEOKA) report, these four officers were among the 76 men and
women killed in the line of duty during 2013—27 died as a result of
felonious acts, and 49 died in accidents. Another 49,851 law
enforcement officers were victims of line-of-duty assaults. Proof
positive of the dangers that all officers willingly face, day in and
day out, to protect the rest of us.
Among the report’s findings for 2013:
Of the 27 officers feloniously killed, 16 were on assigned vehicle
patrol duty when the incidents occurred, and all but one of the 27
officers was killed with a firearm.
Circumstances surrounding the deaths of these 27 officers included
arrest situations, ambushes, investigations of suspicious persons,
disturbance calls, tactical situations, traffic pursuits or stops, and
investigative activities.
Law enforcement agencies identified 28 alleged assailants in connection
with the felonious line-of-duty deaths (20 had prior criminal records).
Of the 49 officers accidentally killed, 23 died as a result of
automobile accidents.
Of the nearly 49,851 officers assaulted during 2013, the largest
percentage of victim officers (31.2 percent) were responding to
disturbance calls (family quarrels, bar fights, etc.) when the
incidents occurred.
New to LEOKA is the addition of detailed data concerning assault
victims. Although this year’s detailed information on assaults was only
received for 78 officers, submissions are expected to increase over
time. More details.
The LEOKA publication, released by the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting
(UCR) Program, contains data on duly-sworn city, university/college,
county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement officers who, at the
time of the incidents, met the following criteria:
They were working in an official capacity, whether on or off duty;
They had full arrest powers;
They ordinarily wore/carried a badge and a firearm; and
They were paid from government funds set aside specifically for sworn
law enforcement representatives.
The information in the report comes from various sources—the law
enforcement agencies participating in the UCR Program, FBI field
offices, and several non-profit organizations, such as the Concerns of
Police Survivors and the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Fund.
The goal of the FBI’s LEOKA program is to provide data and training
that help keep law enforcement officers safe as they serve and protect
our nation’s communities. Later this week on our website, we’ll focus
on what LEOKA is doing, beyond its annual report, to further that
goal—specifically, the extensive research being done on collected data
(including studies involving interviews with individuals convicted of
police killings) and the incorporation of that research into the
officer safety awareness training conducted by the LEOKA program for
partner agencies.
Details released earlier in the day…
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 76 law enforcement
officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2013. Of these, 27
law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 49
officers died in accidents. In addition, 49,851 officers were victims
of line-of-duty assaults. Comprehensive data tables about these
incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and
selected assaults resulting in injury are included in the 2013 edition
of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, released today.
Felonious Deaths
The 27 felonious deaths occurred in 16 states. The number of officers
killed as a result of criminal acts in 2013 decreased by 22 when
compared with the 49 officers who were feloniously killed in 2012. The
five- and 10-year comparisons show a decrease of 21 felonious deaths
compared with the 2009 figure (48 officers) and a decrease of 30 deaths
compared with 2004 data (57 officers).
Officer Profiles: The average age of the officers who were feloniously
killed was 39 years. The victim officers had served in law enforcement
for an average of 13 years at the time of the fatal incidents.
Twenty-five of the officers were male, and two were female. Twenty-five
of the officers were white, and two were black.
Circumstances: Of the 27 officers feloniously killed, six were killed
in arrest situations, five were investigating suspicious persons or
circumstances, five were ambushed, four were involved in tactical
situations, four were answering disturbance calls, and two were
conducting traffic pursuits/stops. One was conducting an investigative
activity, such as surveillance, a search, or an interview.
Weapons: Offenders used firearms to kill 26 of the 27 victim officers.
Of these 26 officers, 18 were slain with handguns, five with rifles,
and three with shotguns. One officer was killed with a vehicle used as
a weapon.
Regions: Fifteen of the felonious deaths occurred in the South, six in
the West, four in the Midwest, and two in the Northeast.
Suspects: Law enforcement agencies identified 28 alleged assailants in
connection with the felonious line-of-duty deaths. Twenty of the
assailants had prior criminal arrests, and six of the offenders were
under judicial supervision at the time of the felonious incidents.
Accidental Deaths
Forty-nine law enforcement officers were killed accidentally while
performing their duties in 2013. The majority (23 officers) were killed
in automobile accidents. The number of accidental line-of-duty deaths
increased by one from the 2012 total (48 officers).
Officer Profiles: The average age of the officers who were accidentally
killed was 41 years; the average number of years the victim officers
had served in law enforcement was 13. All 49 of the officers were male.
Forty-one of the officers were white, six were black, and race was not
reported for two officers.
Circumstances: Of the 49 officers accidentally killed, 23 died as a
result of automobile accidents, nine were struck by vehicles, four
officers died in motorcycle accidents, four officers were killed in
falls, two were accidentally shot, two drowned, one died in an aircraft
accident, and four officers died in other types of duty-related
accidents. Seatbelt usage was reported for 22 of the 23 officers killed
in automobile accidents. Of these, 14 officers were not wearing
seatbelts, three of whom were seated in parked patrol vehicles. Eight
officers were wearing their seatbelts at the times of the accidents.
Regions: Thirty-one of the accidental deaths occurred in the South,
nine in the West, five in the Northeast, and 4 in the Midwest.
Assaults
In 2013, of the 49,851 officers assaulted while performing their
duties, 29.2 percent were injured. The largest percentage of victim
officers (31.2 percent) were assaulted while responding to disturbance
calls. Assailants used personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in
79.8 percent of the incidents, firearms in 4.5 percent of incidents,
and knives or other cutting instruments in 1.8 percent of the
incidents. Other types of dangerous weapons were used in 13.9 percent
of assaults. Expanded assault details have been included in the 2013
publication. Data for assaults during which officers were injured with
firearms or knives/other cutting instruments are located in new tables,
figures, and selected narratives.
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