According
to preliminary statistics released today by the FBI, 140
of the Nation's law enforcement officers were feloniously
killed in the line of duty in 2001. This number includes
the 71 officers killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist
attacks.
The
officers killed as a result of the attacks on the World
Trade Center in New York City include 37 officers with
the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department,
23 with the New York Police Department, 5 with the New
York Office of Tax Enforcement, 3 with the State of New
York Unified Court System, 1 fire marshal with the New
York City Fire Department, 1 agent with the U. S. Secret
Service, and 1 agent with the FBI. These data are not
included in the following preliminary statistics.
Sixty-nine
officers were killed in incidents not related to the events
of
September 11. Geographically, 28 of the 69 officers were
killed in the South, 18 in the West, 14 in the Midwest,
and 3 in the Northeast. Six officers were slain in Puerto
Rico.
By
circumstance, 10 officers were murdered in 2001 while
answering domestic disturbance calls, and 10 were killed
during traffic pursuits and stops. Eight officers were
slain investigating drug-related matters, 8 attempting
other arrests or serving arrest warrants, 8 investigating
suspicious persons or circumstances, and 7 officers were
killed in ambush situations (unprovoked attacks). Another
5 officers were murdered while answering disturbance calls
(bar fights, person with firearm, etc.), 4 during robberies
in progress or pursuing robbery suspects, 3 in ambush
situations (entrapment and premeditation), 2 during burglaries
in progress or pursuing burglary suspects, 2 while handling,
transporting, or custody of prisoners, and 2 were killed
while handling mentally deranged persons.
Sixty
officers were killed in 2001 with firearms. Of these 60
officers, 45 were slain with handguns, 11 with rifles,
and 4 with shotguns. Seven officers were killed with vehicles,
one officer was murdered with personal weapons (hands,
fists, feet, etc.), and 1 was killed with a blunt object.
At
the time they were slain, 39 officers were wearing body
armor. Sixteen officers attempted to use their weapons
by unsnapping the holsters, drawing the weapons, or performing
an action to indicate an attempt to use the weapons but
were unable to fire. Twelve of the officers fired their
own weapons during the incident, and 7 officers' weapons
were stolen (taken from the scene). Three officers were
killed with their own weapons.
The
69 officers, 18 more than were killed in 2000, were slain
in 65 separate incidents in 2001. Sixty-one of the 65
incidents have been cleared by arrest or exceptional means.
Six suspects remain at large in connection with the remaining
4 incidents.
In
addition to the officers feloniously slain in the line
of duty, 77 officers were killed accidentally in 2001
in the performance of their duties. This death total is
7 fewer than the 84 officers accidentally killed during
the previous year.
Final
statistics and complete details will be available in the
Uniform Crime Reporting Program's publication, Law Enforcement
Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2001 scheduled to be released
this fall.
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