Overview:
According to statistics collected by the FBI, 95 law
enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2012. Of these,
48 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 47 officers
died in accidents. In addition, 52,901 officers were victims of line-of-duty
assaults. Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives
describing the fatal attacks are included in the 2012 edition of Law
Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, released today.
Felonious Deaths
The 48 felonious deaths occurred in 26 states, the U.S.
Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico. The number of officers killed as a result of
criminal acts in 2012 decreased by 24 when compared with the 72 officers who
died in 2011. The five- and 10-year comparisons show an increase of seven
felonious deaths compared with the 2008 figure (41 officers) and a decrease of
four deaths compared with 2003 data (52 officers).
Officer Profiles: The average age of the officers who were feloniously killed
was 38 years. The victim officers
had served in law enforcement for an average of 12 years at the time of the fatal incidents.
Circumstances: Of the 48 officers feloniously killed, 12
were killed in arrest situations, eight were investigating suspicious persons
or circumstances, eight were conducting traffic pursuits/stops, six were
ambushed, five were involved in tactical situations, and four were answering
disturbance calls. Three of the slain officers were handling, transporting, or
maintaining custody of prisoners; one was conducting an investigative activity,
such as surveillance, searches, or interviews; and one officer was killed while
handling a person with a mental illness.
Weapons:
Offenders used firearms to kill 44 of the 48 victim officers. Of these 44
officers, 32 were slain with handguns, seven with rifles, and three with
shotguns. The type of firearm used was not reported in the deaths of two
officers. Two officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons, one with
personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.), and one with a knife.
Suspects: Law enforcement agencies identified 51 alleged
assailants in connection with the felonious line-of-duty deaths. Thirty-three of the assailants had prior criminal arrests,
and eight of the offenders were under judicial supervision
at the time of the felonious incidents.
Full Report can be viewed here:
No comments:
Post a Comment