Statistics on Law Enforcement Officer Deaths in the Line of Duty from January through July 2024
The 37 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first 7 months of 2024 represent a 7.5 percent decrease compared to the 40 officers killed during the same period in 2023. Firearms were used in 29 of the 37 killings in 2024, with the other weapons used in felonious deaths being vehicles (5), personal weapons (2), and knives/cutting instruments (1). Among officers killed with firearms, 4 are confirmed to have been wearing body armor. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ felonious deaths were related to investigative/enforcement activities (15), unprovoked attacks (6), tactical situations (4), and ambushes (4). Accidental deaths of law enforcement officers increased 44.5 percent when comparing the first 7 months of 2024 (26) with those of 2023 (18). The accidental deaths in 2024 were due primarily to motor vehicle accidents (16) and pedestrian officers struck by vehicles (4). The Southern region had the most law enforcement deaths in 2024 with 26 deaths total (11 felonious, 15 accidental). Additionally, 23 officers died from the following medical conditions in 2024: heart attack (9), natural causes (6), conditions from 9/11 response (5), and cancer (3).
These statistics are preliminary and can change as law enforcement agencies submit updates.
Officer Deaths by Year
Annual Felonious Death Total
| Year | Deaths |
| 2023 | 60 |
| 2022 | 61 |
| 2021 | 73 |
| 2020 | 46 |
Felonious Deaths Through July
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 37 |
| 2023 | 40 |
| 2022 | 37 |
| 2021 | 45 |
| 2020 | 31 |
Annual Accidental Death Total
| Year | Deaths |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2022 | 57 |
| 2021 | 56 |
| 2020 | 46 |
Accidental Deaths Through July
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 26 |
| 2023 | 18 |
| 2022 | 39 |
| 2021 | 35 |
| 2020 | 29 |
Officer Deaths by Region
| Region | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| Midwest | 11 | 4 |
| Northeast | 5 | 2 |
| Puerto Rico and Outlying Territories | 1 | 1 |
| South | 11 | 15 |
| West | 9 | 4 |
Circumstances of Officer Deaths
Felonious: 37
- Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop): 15
- Unprovoked attack: 6
- Ambush (entrapment/premeditation): 4
- Tactical situation: 4
- Assisting another law enforcement officer: 2
- Crime in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.): 2
- Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.): 2
- Citizen complaint: 1
- Out of service (court, dining, etc.): 1
Accidental: 26
- Motor vehicle crash: 16
- Responding to emergency: 4
- Engaging in vehicle pursuit: 3
- Patrolling: 2
- Performing traffic stop: 2
- Escorting dignitary or funeral: 1
- Responding to nonemergency: 1
- Other: 3
- Pedestrian officer struck by vehicle: 4
- Assisting/investigating vehicle crash: 2
- Performing traffic stop: 1
- Providing/deploying equipment: 1
- Aircraft crash: 1
- Firearm-related incident: 1
- Other: 4
Officer Deaths by Month in 2024
| Region | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| January | 2 | 3 |
| February | 7 | 6 |
| March | 5 | 3 |
| April | 10 | 10 |
| May | 4 | 0 |
| June | 4 | 4 |
| July | 5 | 0 |
Time of Incident
| Time | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 7 | 5 |
| 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 9 | 10 |
| 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 6 | 3 |
| Time not reported | 13 | 8 |
| Off duty* | 2 | 0 |
* 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 Killed
Race
- White: 32
- Black or African American: 5
Sex: 37 Male
Ethnicity
- Not Hispanic or Latino: 20
- Hispanic or Latino: 2
- Not reported: 15
Demographics of Offenders
Race
- White: 15
- Black or African American: 16
- Not reported: 4
Sex
- Male: 33
- Female: 2
Ethnicity: 35 not reported
Felonious Killings by Weapons Used by Offender
Firearm: 29
- Handgun: 2
- Unknown: 1
- Not reported: 26
Vehicle: 5
Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.): 2
Knife/cutting instrument: 1
Distance from Firearm
0-5 feet: 2
6-10 feet: 1
Not reported: 26
Location of Fatal Firearm Wound
Head or neck: 1
Torso or arms: 2
Not reported: 26
Numbers of Incidents and Victims in Felonious Killings
Incidents: 35
Victims: 37
