FBI Releases Preliminary Data on Law Enforcement Officer Deaths from January through November 2022

December 12, 2022

The following is a graphic presentation of data regarding line-of-duty deaths, both felonious and accidental, collected from law enforcement agencies across the United States and U.S. territories by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Data Collection. This preliminary information is provided for officer safety studies, training, and other initiatives. The data are also published annually in the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted release.

Key observations text: The 55 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first eleven months of 2022 represent a 17.9 percent decrease compared to the 67 officers killed during the same period in 2021. Firearms were used in 83.6 percent of the felonious deaths in 2022, with 51 percent of the type of firearm used not currently reported. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ felonious killings included activities related to ambushes on officers, investigative/enforcement activity, unprovoked attacks on officers, and response to disorderly/disturbance calls. The 12 ambush attacks in 2022 are a 71.4 percent increase compared to the seven ambush attacks in the same time period in 2021. Conversely, unprovoked attacks in 2022 (6) decreased 72.7 percent compared to the same time period in 2021 (22). Accidental law enforcement deaths decreased 1.9 percent when comparing the first eleven months of 2022 (51) with those of 2021 (52). The accidental deaths in 2022 were due primarily to motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian officers being struck by vehicles, and airplane crashes. The southern region has the most law enforcement deaths in 2022, with 56 deaths total (27 felonious, 29 accidental). Although not represented in the below graphic, 80 officers have died in the line of duty in 2022 from the following medical conditions: 52 officers from illnesses related to COVID-19, 11 officers due to heart attacks, five officers from conditions as a result of response to 9/11, and 12 officers due to other natural causes. Dated 12/1/2022.
Key Observations
The 55 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first eleven months of 2022 represent a 17.9 percent decrease compared to the 67 officers killed during the same period in 2021. Firearms were used in 83.6 percent of the felonious deaths in 2022, with 51 percent of the type of firearm used not currently reported. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ felonious killings included activities related to ambushes on officers, investigative/enforcement activity, unprovoked attacks on officers, and response to disorderly/disturbance calls. The 12 ambush attacks in 2022 are a 71.4 percent increase compared to the seven ambush attacks in the same time period in 2021. Conversely, unprovoked attacks in 2022 (6) decreased 72.7 percent compared to the same time period in 2021 (22). Accidental law enforcement deaths decreased 1.9 percent when comparing the first eleven months of 2022 (51) with those of 2021 (52). The accidental deaths in 2022 were due primarily to motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian officers being struck by vehicles, and airplane crashes. The southern region has the most law enforcement deaths in 2022, with 56 deaths total (27 felonious, 29 accidental). Although not represented in the below graphic, 80 officers have died in the line of duty in 2022 from the following medical conditions: 52 officers from illnesses related to COVID-19, 11 officers due to heart attacks, five officers from conditions as a result of response to 9/11, and 12 officers due to other natural causes. 

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