The FBI reported today that 57 law enforcement
officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty
last year; 83 officers died in accidents while performing
their
official duties; and 59,201 officers suffered assaults
while on duty. The 2007 edition of Law
Enforcement Officers Killed
and Assaulted released
today provides comprehensive tabular data about these
incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal felonious
attacks.
Felonious Deaths
The 57 felonious line-of-duty deaths took place during 51 separate incidents.
The deaths occurred in 25 states and Puerto Rico. The number of officers
feloniously killed in 2007 increased by nine compared with the 2006 figure
(48 officers). A five-year comparison shows an increase of five line-of-duty
deaths compared with data for 2003 (52 officers), and a decrease of
four deaths compared with data for 1998 (61 officers).
Officer Profile: Among the officers who were feloniously killed, the average
age was 37 years. The victim officers had served in law enforcement for
an average of 10 years at the time of the fatal incidents. All of the slain
officers were male; 47 officers were white.
Circumstances: Of the 57 officers feloniously
killed, 16 of the slain officers were involved in arrest situations, 16
were ambushed, 11 were
performing traffic stops, five were answering disturbance calls, and four
were investigating suspicious persons or circumstances. Of the
remaining five officers who were feloniously killed in the line of duty,
three were in tactical situations (e.g., high-risk entry); one was performing
investigative
duties; and one had custody of a prisoner for transport.
Weapons: Offenders used firearms to kill 55
of the 57 victim officers. Of these 55 officers,
38 were slain with handguns, eight with rifles, and eight with shotguns.
The type of firearm was not reported for one officer’s death. Two
officers were killed with vehicles that were used as weapons.
Region: An analysis of the data by region showed
that 31 of the felonious deaths occurred in the South, nine in the West,
seven in the Northeast, and nine
in the Midwest. One of the deaths took place in Puerto Rico.
Suspects: Law enforcnement agencies identified 62 alleged assailants in
connection with the
57 felonious line-of-duty deaths. Fifty-eight of the assailants had prior
criminal records, and 19 of them were under judicial supervision at the
time of the felonious incidents.
Accidental Deaths
Eighty-three law enforcement officers were killed in accidents while performing
their duties in 2007. Automobile accidents claimed the highest number (49)
of accidental line-of-duty deaths.
The Nation’s law enforcement agencies reported to the FBI’s
Uniform Crime Reporting Program that 59,201 officers were assaulted while
performing their duties. The largest percentage of victim officers (31.7
percent) were assaulted while responding to disturbance calls (family
quarrels, bar fights, etc.). Assailants used personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.) in 80.2 percent of the incidents, firearms in 3.7
percent of the incidents, and knives or other cutting instruments in
1.7 percent of the incidents. In 14.4 percent of the assaults, other
types of weapons were used.
Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2007, is available exclusively
on the FBI’s Web site at www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm. Printed
copies of this publication are no longer available.
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