Key Observations

Twenty-four felonious line-of-duty deaths were reported to the FBI as having occurred between January 2023 and May 2023. Twenty-one of these deaths involved the use of a firearm, two deaths involved the use of a vehicle as a weapon, and one death involved personal weapons (e.g., hands or fists). The leading circumstances surrounding the felonious deaths in 2023 were related to investigative/enforcement (seven deaths), pursuit (five deaths), and crime in progress (four deaths). The six law enforcement officers feloniously killed in May 2023 represent a 200% increase compared to the two officers killed during the same period in 2022.

Eleven accidental line-of-duty deaths were reported to the FBI as having occurred between January 2023 and May 2023. Seven of these deaths occurred due to motor vehicle crashes, two were due to aircraft crashes, one was due to drowning, and one was due to a fall. The three accidental deaths in May 2023 represent a 40% decrease from May 2022, when five accidental deaths were reported.

The Southern region has the most reported law enforcement officer deaths for 2023, with seven felonious deaths and seven accidental deaths reported.

Although not represented in the tables below, ten officers died from medical conditions in 2023. Of these, two 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 May, by Year

Annual Accidental Death Total

Accidental Deaths through May, by Year

Officer Deaths by Region

Midwest

• Felonious: 9
• Accidental: 2
  

Northeast

• Felonious: 5
• Accidental: 0

Puerto Rico and Outlying Territories

• Felonious: 0
• Accidental: 0
  

South

• Felonious: 7
• Accidental: 7
  

West

• Felonious: 3
• Accidental: 2
  
  

Circumstances of Officer Deaths

24 Felonious

• 7 Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop)
• 5 Pursuits
• 4 Crimes in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.)
• 2 Tactical situations
• 1 Arrest situation
• 1 Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.)
• 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
  

11 Accidental

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

Officer Deaths by Month in 2022 and 2023

2023 Felonious Deaths

2023 Accidental Deaths

2022 Felonious Deaths

2022 Accidental Deaths

Time of Incident 

• 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.: 2 felonious, 1 accidental
• 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.: 11 felonious, 3 accidental
• 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.: 2 felonious, 4 accidental
• Time Not Reported: 7 felonious, 3 accidental
• Off Duty*: 2 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

Location of Fatal Firearm Wound

Felonious Killing

• 2 Front head
  
• 1 Side head
• 1 Front lower torso/abdomen
  
• 1 Front below waist/groin area
• 16 Fatal wound locations not reported
• 6 Officers confirmed wearing body armor

Weapons Used by Offender

24 Felonious Killings

• 21 Officers killed with firearms
  • 6 Handguns
  • 1 Rifle
    
  • 14 Not reported
    
• 2 Vehicles
• 1 Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.)

Distance from Firearm: Felonious Killings

• 6-10 feet: 3
  
• 21-50 feet: 1
  
• Not reported: 16
• Unknown: 1

Clearances of Incidents

• 20 cleared
• 4 uncleared
• Clearance rate: 83.3%

Incidents and Victims: Felonious Killings

• 24 incidents
• 24 victims

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

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