Officer line-of-duty deaths by criminal acts has more than doubled in nearly a decade, FBI says
The number of law enforcement officers who were killed by criminal acts in the line of duty in the United States has more than doubled in nearly a decade, according to new statistics released by the FBI on Monday.
Sixty officers were killed by criminal acts nationwide in 2022, a decrease of 17.8% when compared to the 73 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2021, according to new statistics released Monday by the FBI.
Comparatively, the FBI said in 2018, 57 officers were killed by criminal acts in the line of duty and in 2013, 27 officers were killed in this manner.
One-fifth of the officers killed by criminal acts in 2022 -- 12 officers -- were ambushed when they were slain, the FBI said.
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The stunning increase in line-of-duty deaths by criminal acts were highlighted in the FBI’s “2022 Statistics on Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty” released Monday.
A total of 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents nationwide in 2022. Of these officer line-of-duty deaths, 58 resulted from accidents, with 35 of these officers killed motor vehicle crashes, the FBI said.
In 2021, 129 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents; Of these, 73 died as a result of criminal acts and 56 in accidents.
Of the 60 officer deaths resulting from criminal acts in 2022, three occurred in the northeast. These average age of officers killed by criminal acts was 39 years old, with an average of seven years serving in law enforcement, the FBI said.
Offenders used firearms to kill 49 of the 60 officers who died by criminal acts in 2022, the FBI said. Three officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons, and eight officers were killed by the offender’s use of personal weapons, such as a hand, fists, or feet.
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Of the 60 officers killed by criminal acts in 2022: 12 officers were ambushed (entrapment/premeditation); 12 officers died as a result of investigative/enforcement activities; six officers were killed in unprovoked attacks; four officers encountered/assisted an emotionally-disturbed person; four officers were involved in pursuits; six officers responded to disorders/disturbances; six officers were involved in tactical situations; one officer was involved in arrest situation; three officers responded to crimes in progress; three officers were assisting other law enforcement officers; two were serving/attempting to serve a court order and one officer was providing/deploying equipment (flares, traffic cones).
Also, of the 51 alleged assailants accused in the 2022 in officer line-of-duty deaths by criminal acts, 10 had prior criminal arrests.
The average age of officers killed accidentally in 2022 was 39, with an average of 11 years serving in law enforcement.
Of the 58 officers killed accidentally in 2022: 35 died as a result of motor vehicle crashes; 13 were pedestrian officers struck by vehicles; six officers were in an aircraft crash; two officers were killed in a fall; and two died as a result of a firearm-related incident.
For more information on officer line-of-duty deaths, visit the FBI’s Crime Data Explorer page.
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