KILLED IN THE LINE OF DUTY
FBI Reports 55 Police Deaths in ‘05
10/30/06
They all died heroes: 55 peace officers
killed in the line of duty by criminals in
2005. Some of them died with their guns drawn.
Others died shielding victims or stricken
comrades. Some were ambushed. All will be
missed.
The newly released Law
Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted
2005—available
only online—details the full range
of statistics, including assaults and accidental
deaths.
Its purpose? To provide
highly specific information—everything
from who was killed and attacked, when, and
under what circumstances—that forms
the basis of strategies and training initiatives
that will improve the safety of the entire
law enforcement community.
Overall, the numbers this year
fell from 2004: the number of
officers killed by criminals dipped from
57 to 55; the number assaulted dropped
by more than 1,800 (to 57,546, the lowest
total since 2001); and the number killed
accidentally decreased from 82 to 67 (the
lowest total in six years).
What else the report can tell you:
As usual, you can find the information broken
down by your state and region. And once again,
we in the FBI salute the courage and sacrifice
of our partners in law enforcement who were
killed or attacked while serving our nation.
Resources:
Criminal Justice Information Services division | National press release