Key Observations

Thirty law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in the first half of 2023, according to preliminary reports provided to the FBI. This represents a 6.25% decrease compared to the same period in 2022, for which 32 felonious line-of-duty deaths were reported to the Bureau.

Of the felonious deaths reported to the FBI for the first half of 2023, twenty-six involved involved the use of a firearm—most commonly handguns. The leading circumstances surrounding these officers’ deaths were investigative/enforcement (eight deaths), pursuits (five deaths), crimes in progress (three deaths), and tactical situations (three deaths). April, May, and June had the most deaths, with six each.

Additionally, 13 law enforcement officers died under accidental circumstances in the line of duty in the first half of 2023. This represents a 56.7% decrease from the same period in 2022, for which 30 accidental line-of-duty deaths were reported to the Bureau.

Of the accidental deaths reported to the Bureau for the first half of 2023, nine occurred due to motor vehicle accidents, two due to an aircraft crash, one due to a drowning, and one due to a fall.

Although not represented in the statistics below, 10 officers died from medical conditions in 2023. Two of these officers died from conditions related to 9/11, two officers died from cancer, one officer died from illnesses related to COVID-19, and five officers died due to other natural causes.

These statistics are preliminary and can change as the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Program receives updates.

Officer Deaths by Year

Annual Felonious Death Total

Felonious Deaths through June, by Year

Annual Accidental Death Total

Accidental Deaths through June, by Year

Circumstances of Officer Deaths

30 Felonious

• 8 Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop)
• 5 Pursuits
• 3 Crimes in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.)
• 3 Tactical situations
• 2 Ambushes (entrapment/premeditation)
• 2 Disorder/disturbances (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.)
• 1 Arrest situation
  
• 1 Assisting another law enforcement officer
• 1 Encountering/assisting an emotionally disturbed person
• 1 Serving/attempting to serve court order (eviction notice, subpoena, etc.)
  
• 1 Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.)
• 1 Unprovoked attack
  
• 1 Other

13 Accidental

• 9 Motor vehicle crashes
  
  • 3 Patrolling
    
  • 3 Responding to emergency
  • 1 Escorting dignitary or funeral
  • 1 Responding to nonemergency
  • 1 Other
• 2 Aircraft crashes
• 1 Drowning
• 1 Fall
  

Officer Deaths by Month in 2022 and 2023

Felonious Deaths in 2023, by Month

Accidental Deaths in 2023, by Month

Felonious Deaths in 2022, by Month

Accidental Deaths in 2022, by Month

Time of Incident 

• 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.: 5 felonious, 2 accidental
• 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.: 15 felonious, 4 accidental
• 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.: 2 felonious, 4 accidental
• Time Not Reported: 8 felonious, 3 accidental
• Off Duty*—0 felonious: 0 accidental

*When an officer is not scheduled to be working at the time of the incident, but is present and acting under law enforcement authority

Demographics of Officers Feloniously Killed

Race

• 26 White
• 3 Black or African American
• 1 Not reported
  

Sex

• 27 Male
• 3 Female
  

Ethnicity

• 24 Not Hispanic or Latino
• 2 Hispanic or Latino
• 4 Not reported
  

Demographics of Offenders in Felonious Killings

Race

• 8 White
• 2 Black or African American
• 22 Not reported
  

Sex

• 32 Male
  

Ethnicity

• 5 Hispanic or Latino
• 4 Not Hispanic or Latino
• 23 Not reported

Location of Fatal Firearm Wound

Felonious Killing

• 3 Head or neck
• 2 Abdomen or legs
• 1 Torso or arms
• 20 Fatal wound locations not reported
• 9 Officers reported to have been wearing body armor
  

Weapons Used by Offender

30 Felonious Killings

• 26 Officers killed with firearms
  • 7 Handguns
  • 3 Rifles
    
  • 16 Not reported
    
• 3 Vehicles
• 1 Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.)

Distance from Firearm

Felonious Killings

• 0-5 feet: 1
• 6-10 feet: 3
  
• 11-20 feet: 1
• 21-50 feet: 1
  
• 51+ feet: 1
• Not reported: 18
• Unknown: 1

FBI data on Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted is posted in the Crime Data Explorer.

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