Statistics on Law Enforcement Officer Deaths in the Line of Duty from January through May 2024
July 29, 2024
Key Observations
The 28 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the first five months of 2024 represent a 16.7 percent increase compared to the 24 officers killed during the same period in 2023. Firearms were used in 22 of the 28 felonious killings in 2024, and four deaths involved the use of vehicles as weapons. In four of the felonious killings with firearms, the officers were confirmed to have been wearing body armor. The leading circumstances surrounding the officers’ deaths were related to investigative/enforcement activities (12) and unprovoked attacks (six). Accidental deaths of law enforcement increased 100 percent when comparing the first five months of 2024 (22) with those of 2023 (11). The leading causes of accidental deaths in the first five months of 2024 were motor vehicle crashes (13) and pedestrian officers struck by vehicles (4). The Southern region had the most law enforcement deaths to date in 2024, with 23 deaths total (nine felonious, 14 accidental). Twenty officers died from the following medical conditions to date in 2024: seven due to heart attack, five from conditions related to 9/11, five due to other natural causes, and three due to cancer.
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 May
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 28 |
| 2023 | 24 |
| 2022 | 20 |
| 2021 | 33 |
| 2020 | 23 |
Annual Accidental Death Total
| Year | Deaths |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2022 | 57 |
| 2021 | 56 |
| 2020 | 46 |
Accidental Deaths Through May
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 22 |
| 2023 | 11 |
| 2022 | 26 |
| 2021 | 27 |
| 2020 | 19 |
Officer Deaths by Region
| Region | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| Midwest | 7 | 4 |
| Northeast | 5 | 1 |
| Puerto Rico and Outlying Territories | 1 | 0 |
| South | 9 | 14 |
| West | 6 | 3 |
Circumstances of Officer Deaths
Felonious:
- Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop): 12
- Unprovoked attack: 6
- Ambush (entrapment/premeditation): 2
- Crime in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.): 2
- Tactical situation: 2
- Assisting another law enforcement officer: 1
- Citizen complaint: 1
- Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.): 1
- Out of service (court, dining, etc.): 1
Accidental:
- Motor vehicle crash: 13
- Responding to emergency: 4
- Engaging in vehicle pursuit: 3
- Patrolling: 2
- Performing traffic stop: 2
- Responding to non-emergency: 1
- Other: 1
- Pedestrian officer struck by vehicle: 4
- Assisting/investigating vehicle crash: 2
- Performing traffic stop: 1
- Providing/deploying equipment: 1
- Aircraft crash: 1
Officer Deaths by Month in 2024
| Month | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| January | 2 | 3 |
| February | 7 | 6 |
| March | 5 | 3 |
| April | 10 | 10 |
| May | 4 | 0 |
Time of Incident
| Time | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 6 | 5 |
| 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 8 | 10 |
| 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 4 | 3 |
| Time not reported | 8 | 4 |
| 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 Feloniously Killed
Race:
- White: 27
- Black or African American: 1
Sex: 28 Male
Ethnicity:
- Hispanic or Latino: 2
- Not Hispanic or Latino: 17
- Not reported: 9
Demographics of Offenders
Race:
- White: 11
- Black or African American: 10
- Not reported: 2
Sex:
- Male: 22
- Female: 1
Ethnicity: 23 not reported
Weapons Used by Offender
Firearm:
- Handgun: 2
- Unknown: 1
- Not reported: 19
Vehicle: 4
Knife/cutting instrument: 1
Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.): 1
Distance From Firearm
0-5 feet: 2
6-10 feet: 1
Not reported: 19
Location of Fatal Firearm Wound
Head or neck: 1
Torso or arms: 2
Not reported: 18
Numbers of incidents and Victims in Felonious Killings
Incidents: 26
Victims: 28
