For Immediate Release
November
26, 2001
|
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
|
FBI
Releases the Report Law Enforcement Officers Killed and
Assaulted, 2000
Law
Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2000
Statistics released
today by the FBI's Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program
reveal that 51 law enforcement officers were feloniously
killed in the line of duty in 2000. The UCR Program's annual
report, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2000,
shows that 9 more officers were slain in 2000 than in 1999,
an increase of 21.4 percent. The 51 officers killed reflect
a 16.4-percent decrease from the number of officers murdered
in 1996 and a 28.2-percent decline from the number of officers
slain in 1991.
Firearms were
the weapons used most often in the murders of the Nation's
law enforcement officers in 2000 and were employed in 47
of the 51 officer deaths. Handguns, one of which was the
victim officer's own service weapon, were used in 33 of
the murders. Rifles were used in 10 of the felonious killings,
and shotguns were employed in 4 officer slayings. Twenty-nine
of the 47 officers slain with firearms were wearing body
armor when they were killed.
Data pertaining
to the circumstances surrounding these 51 felonious killings
reveal that 13 officers were killed while conducting traffic
stops/pursuits in 2000. Another 12 victims were slain during
arrest situations: 5 officers were trying to apprehend suspects
in crimes, 3 were investigating drug-related situations,
2 were attempting to arrest robbery suspects, and 2 officers
were attempting to apprehend burglary suspects. Ten officers
were murdered in ambush situations, 8 were killed while
responding to disturbance calls, and 6 officers were murdered
while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances.
Two victims were killed while handling or transporting prisoners.
Twenty-seven
of the 51 slain law enforcement officers were employed by
city police departments, 21 by county police and sheriff's
offices, and 3 by state agencies. No federal officers were
feloniously killed in 2000.
The average age
of the 51 victim officers slain in 2000 was 38. Fifty of
the officers who lost their lives were male, and 1 was female.
Thirty-nine of the victim officers were white, and 11 were
black. Race information was not reported for 1 of the victims.
A regional breakdown
of the 2000 data reveals that 32 officers were murdered
in the Southern region of the United States, 13 in the Midwestern
region, 4 in the Western region, and 2 in the Commonwealth
of Puerto Rico. No officers were feloniously killed in the
line of duty in the Northeastern region in 2000.
Sixty-five suspects
were identified in connection with the 51 line-of-duty officer
deaths during the year. Of these suspects, 51 have been
arrested by law enforcement agencies. Nine of the suspects
were justifiably killed6 by persons other than the
victim officers, and 3 were justifiably killed by the victim
officers. Five assailants committed suicide after murdering
the victim officers.
In addition to
the felonious deaths of law enforcement officers, 84 officers
were accidentally killed in 2000 while performing official
duties, an increase of 19 deaths compared to the 65 accidental
deaths reported in 1999. Automobile, motorcycle, and aircraft
accidents claimed the lives of 55 of the 84 officers. Fourteen
officers were accidentally struck by vehicles, 12 were killed
in other types of accidents (drowning, training accidents,
etc.), and 3 were the victims of accidental shootings.
Data reported
by 8,653 law enforcement agencies covering more than 71.0
percent of the total population of the United States show
that a total of 56,054 line-of-duty assaults were committed
against law enforcement officers in 2000. Of those assaults,
81.7 percent were committed with personal weapons such as
hands, fist, feet, etc., and 29.3 percent of these incidents
resulted in injury. Firearms were used in 3.0 percent of
the assaults, and injuries resulted in 12.3 percent of these
incidents. Knives or cutting instruments were used in 1.8
percent of assaults with 17.1 percent of the victim officers
sustaining injuries. Other dangerous weapons were used in
13.5 percent of the assaults on law enforcement officers,
and 27.9 percent of these officers were injured.
The complete
annual report, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted,
2000, is available on the FBI's Internet site at http://www.fbi.gov/ucr/ucr.htm.
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