Key Observations

The 51 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first ten months of 2023 represented a 5.6% decrease compared to the 54 officers killed during the same period in 2022. Firearms were used in 78.4% (40) of the felonious deaths in 2023, with handguns (9) most reported. Agencies did not report the types of firearms used in 24 of those officer deaths involving firearms. Agencies reported that officers were wearing body armor in 15 of the fatalities from firearms. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ deaths included activities related to investigative/enforcement (13), pursuits (7), and crimes in progress (7). The 13 investigative/enforcement-related deaths in 2023 were a 44.4% increase compared to the nine reported during the same time in 2022.

Accidental law enforcement deaths decreased 39.6% when comparing the number of deaths that occurred during the first ten months of 2023 (29) with those of 2022 (48). The leading cause of accidental officer deaths from January through October 2023 was due to motor vehicle accidents (18) and pedestrian officers being struck by vehicles (4).

The southern region had the most law enforcement deaths in 2023 with 38 deaths total (17 felonious, 21 accidental).

Although not represented in the following tables, 21 officers died in the line of duty from January through October 2023 from the following medical conditions: natural causes (12), conditions related to 9/11 (3), heart attack (3), cancer (2), and illness related to COVID-19 (1).

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 October, 2019–2023

Accidental Deaths, January through October, 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: 17
• Accidental: 21

West

• Felonious: 8
• Accidental: 5

Circumstances of Officer Deaths

51 Felonious

• 13 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 
• 2 Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.) 
• 2 Encounter/assist an emotionally disturbed person 
• 2 Tactical situations 
• 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.) 

29 Accidental

• 18 Motor vehicle crashes 
  • 9 Patrolling 
  • 6 Responding to emergency 
  • 1 Escorting dignitary or funeral 
  • 1 Responding to nonemergency 
  • 1 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.—8 felonious, 4 accidental
• 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.—21 felonious, 8 accidental
• 11 p.m. to 7 a.m.—5 felonious, 8 accidental
• Time Not Reported—15 felonious, 9 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

Demographics of Officers Feloniously Killed

• Race
  • 47 White
  • 3 Black or African American
  • 1 Not reported
    
• Sex
  • 45 Male
  • 6 Female
    
• Ethnicity
  • 42 Not Hispanic or Latino
  • 3 Hispanic or Latino
  • 6 Not reported
    

Demographics of Offenders in Felonious Killings

• Race
  • 14 White
  • 6 Black or African American
  • 36 Not reported
    
• Sex
  • 56 Male
    
• Ethnicity
  • 11 Hispanic or Latino
  • 4 Not Hispanic or Latino
  • 41 Not reported

Location of Fatal Firearm Wound: Felonious Killings

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

Weapons Used by Offender: Felonious Killings

• 40 Officers killed with firearms
  • 9 Handguns
  • 5 Rifles
    
  • 1 Shotgun
  • 1 Unknown
  • 24 Not reported
    
• 7 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: 26
• Unknown: 5

Overall Numbers of Incidents and Victims

• Incidents: 51
• Victims: 51

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

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