In observance of the National Police Week, May 10th through May 16th, we would like to take a moment to reflect on our brothers in blue that have paid the ultimate sacrifice. Gone but NEVER forgotten. 728
Here are some recent statistics posted by the FBI on the rise in Line of Duty Deaths.
FBI Line of Duty Death (LODD) stats 2014
Preliminary statistics released today by the FBI show that 51 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2014. This is an increase of almost 89 percent when compared to the 27 officers killed in 2013. (Note: From 1980–2014, an average of 64 law enforcement officers have been feloniously killed per year. The 2013 total, 27, was the lowest during this 35-year period.)
By region:
17 officers died as a result of criminal acts that occurred in the South
14 in the West
8 in the Midwest
8 in the Northeast
4 in Puerto Rico.
By circumstance:
11 officers died from injuries inflicted as a result of answering disturbance calls (one of which was a domestic disturbance).
10 officers were conducting traffic pursuits or stops
8 were killed as a result of ambushes (six due to entrapment/premeditated situations and two during unprovoked attacks)
6 officers were investigating suspicious persons or circumstances.
5 officers sustained fatal injuries while they were performing investigative activities
4 while they were engaged in tactical situations
3 officers were handling persons with mental illness
1 officer was slain during a drug-related matter
3 officers were killed while attempting other arrests
Offenders used firearms in 46 of the 51 felonious deaths;
32 incidents with handguns
11 incidents with rifles
3 incidents with shotguns
4 victim officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons
1 was killed with the offender’s personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.).
35 of the slain officers were confirmed to be wearing body armor at the times of the incidents.
5 of the 51 officers killed fired their own weapons
6 officers attempted to fire their service weapons.
7 victim officers had their weapons stolen
1 officer was killed with his own weapon.
The 51 victim officers died from injuries sustained in 48 separate incidents. All 48 of those incidents have been cleared by arrest or exceptional means.
An additional 44 officers were accidentally killed in the line of duty in 2014. This total represents five officers fewer than the 49 officers who were accidentally killed in 2013.
By region:
19 officers died due to accidents in the South
13 in the West
7 in the Northeast
4 in the Midwest
1 in Puerto Rico.
By circumstance:
28 of the officers died as a result of automobile accidents
6 were in motorcycle accidents
5 were struck by vehicles
2 of the officers were killed from accidental shootings
1 from drowning
1 from blunt force trauma
1 died as a result of smoke inhalation
***Of the 28 officers who died due to automobile accidents, 15 officers were wearing seatbelts. 10 officers were not wearing seatbelts (six of whom were ejected from the vehicles), and seatbelt use was not reported for three of the officers who were killed due to automobile accidents.
Final statistics and complete details will be available in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program’s publication Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2014, which will be published on the FBI’s website in the fall.
