Key Observations

Fifty-five law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in the first 11 months of 2023. This total is equal to the number of officers feloniously killed in the line of duty during the same period in 2022.

Firearms were used in 76.4% (42) of these felonious deaths in 2023. Agencies didn't report the types of firearms used in 61.9% (26) of officer deaths involving firearms. Agencies reported that officers were wearing body armor in 15 of the firearm-related fatalities.

The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ felonious line-of-duty deaths included activities related to investigative/enforcement (16), pursuits (7), and crimes in progress (7). The 16 investigative/enforcement-related deaths in 2023 reflected a 60% increase over the same time in 2022, for which 10 investigative/enforcement-related deaths were reported.

Thirty-one law enforcement officers died under accidental circumstances in the line of duty in the first 11 months of 2023. This reflects a 39.2% decrease from the first 11 months of 2022, for which 51 accidental line-of-duty deaths were reported. Motor vehicle accidents were the leading cause of accidental line-of-duty deaths from January through November 2023, leading to 20 deaths.

The southern region had the most law enforcement line-of-duty deaths in 2023, with 41 deaths total. Eighteen of these deaths were felonious, and 23 were accidental.

Although not represented in the following tables, 23 officers died in the line of duty from January through November 2023 from medical conditions. Thirteen died of natural causes, three died from conditions related to 9/11, three died from heart attacks, two died from cancer, and two died from COVID-19-related illness.

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

Officer Deaths by Year

Felonious Deaths, January through November, 2019–2023

Accidental Deaths, January through November, 2019–2023

Officer Deaths by Region

Midwest

• Felonious: 15
• Accidental: 2

Northeast

• Felonious: 9
• Accidental: 0

Puerto Rico and Outlying Territories

• Felonious: 2
• Accidental: 1

South

• Felonious: 18
• Accidental: 23

West

• Felonious: 11
• Accidental: 5

Circumstances of Officer Deaths

55 Felonious

• 16 Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop)
• 7 Crimes in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.)
• 7 Pursuits
• 6 Ambushes (entrapment/premeditation) 
• 4 Assisting another law enforcement officer 
  
• 3 Arrest situations
• 3 Tactical situations 
• 2 Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.) 
• 2 Encounter/assist an emotionally disturbed person  
• 2 Unprovoked attacks 
• 1 Administrative assignment 
• 1 Serving/attempting to serve court order (eviction notice, subpoena, etc.) 
• 1 Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.) 

31 Accidental

• 20 Motor vehicle crashes 
  • 9 Patrolling 
  • 6 Responding to emergency 
  • 2 Responding to nonemergency
  • 1 Escorting dignitary or funeral 
    
  • 2 Other 

• 4 Pedestrian officers struck by vehicle 
  • 1 Assisting/investigating vehicle crash 
    
  • 1 Training 
  • 2 Other 

• 2 Aircraft crash 
• 2 Falls
• 1 Drowning 
  
• 1 Firearm-related incident 
• 1 Other

Officer Deaths by Month in 2022 and 2023

2023 Felonious Deaths

2023 Accidental Deaths

2022 Felonious Deaths

2022 Accidental Deaths

Details of Incidents in 2023

Time of Incident

• 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.—9 felonious, 5 accidental
• 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.—21 felonious, 8 accidental
• 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.—6 felonious, 8 accidental
• Time Not Reported—17 felonious, 9 accidental
• Off Duty*—2 felonious, 1 accidental

*Off Duty is 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
  • 51 White
  • 3 Black or African American
  • 1 Not reported
    
• Sex
  • 49 Male
  • 6 Female
    
• Ethnicity
  • 42 Not Hispanic or Latino
  • 3 Hispanic or Latino
  • 10 Not reported
    

Demographics of Offenders in Felonious Killings

• Race
  • 14 White
  • 7 Black or African American
  • 39 Not reported
    
• Sex
  • 60 Male
    
• Ethnicity
  • 11 Hispanic or Latino
  • 4 Not Hispanic or Latino
  • 45 Not reported

Location of Fatal Firearm Wound: Felonious Killings

• 6 Head or neck
• 4 Torso or arms
• 2 Abdomen or legs
• 30 Fatal wound locations not reported
  

Weapons Used by Offender: Felonious Killings

• 42 Officers killed with firearms
  • 9 Handguns
  • 5 Rifles
    
  • 1 Shotgun
  • 1 Unknown
  • 26 Not reported
    
• 9 Vehicles
• 2 Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.)
• 2 Other

Distance from Firearm: Felonious Killings

• 0-5 feet: 3
• 6-10 feet: 3
  
• 11-20 feet: 1
• 21-50 feet: 1
  
• 51+ feet: 1
• Not reported: 28
• Unknown: 5

Overall Numbers of Incidents and Victims

• Incidents: 54
• Victims: 55

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

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