Statistics on Law Enforcement Officer Deaths in the Line of Duty from January through November 2024
December 19, 2024
The 59 law enforcement officers who were feloniously killed in the first 11 months of 2024 represent a 7.3 percent increase compared to the 55 officers killed during the same period in 2023. Firearms were used in 69.5 percent (41) of the felonious deaths in 2024. Agencies did not report the type of firearm used in 92.7 percent (38) of the incidents. Among officers killed with firearms, 4 were confirmed to have been wearing body armor. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ deaths in felonious incidents included activities related to investigative/enforcement activities (19), unprovoked attacks (8), and ambushes (6).
The 40 accidental law enforcement deaths in the first 11 months of 2024 represented a 29 percent increase when compared to the 31 deaths at the same time in 2023. Thus far in 2024, the leading causes of accidental deaths have been motor vehicle crashes (21) and pedestrian officers struck by vehicles (8). The southern region has the most law enforcement deaths to date in 2024 with 47 deaths total (24 felonious and 23 accidental). Medical conditions resulting in officer deaths in the line of duty in 2024 are natural causes (15), heart attack (11), conditions related to 9/11 (8), and cancer (3).
These statistics are preliminary and can change as agencies provide updates.
Total Annual Felonious Deaths
| Year | Deaths |
| 2023 | 60 |
| 2022 | 61 |
| 2021 | 73 |
| 2020 | 46 |
Total Annual Accidental Deaths
| Year | Deaths |
| 2023 | 34 |
| 2022 | 57 |
| 2021 | 56 |
| 2020 | 46 |
Felonious Deaths Through November by Year
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 59 |
| 2023 | 55 |
| 2022 | 54 |
| 2021 | 67 |
| 2020 | 43 |
Accidental Deaths Through November by Year
| Year | Deaths |
| 2024 | 40 |
| 2023 | 31 |
| 2022 | 51 |
| 2021 | 52 |
| 2020 | 42 |
Officer Deaths By Region
| Region | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| Midwest | 17 | 9 |
| Northeast | 5 | 3 |
| South | 24 | 23 |
| West | 12 | 4 |
| Puerto Rico and Outlying Territories | 1 | 1 |
Circumstances of Officer Deaths
Felonious: 59
- Investigative/enforcement (drug-related matter, wanted person, traffic violation stop): 19
- Unprovoked attack: 8
- Ambush: 6
- Crime in progress (robbery, burglary, etc.): 5
- Tactical situation: 5
- Assisting another law enforcement officer: 4
- Pursuit: 4
- Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.): 3
- Disorder/disturbance (domestic disturbance, civil disorder, etc.): 2
- Citizen complaint: 1
- Out of service (court, dining, etc.): 1
- Other: 1
Accidental: 40
- Motor vehicle crash: 21
- Responding to emergency: 6
- Engaging in vehicle pursuit: 4
- Patrolling: 2
- Performing traffic stop: 2
- Assisting/investigating vehicle crash: 1
- Escorting dignitary or funeral: 1
- Other: 5
- Pedestrian officer struck by vehicle: 8
- Performing traffic stop: 4
- Assisting/investigating vehicle crash: 3
- Providing/deploying equipment: 1
- Firearm-related incident: 2
- Aircraft crash: 1
- Drowning: 1
- Fall: 1
- Other: 6
Felonious Officer Deaths by Month in 2023 and 2024
| Month | 2023 | 2024 |
| January | 3 | 2 |
| February | 5 | 7 |
| March | 4 | 5 |
| April | 6 | 10 |
| May | 6 | 4 |
| June | 6 | 4 |
| July | 10 | 6 |
| August | 4 | 10 |
| September | 4 | 6 |
| October | 3 | 0 |
| November | 4 | 5 |
| December | 5 |
Accidental Officer Deaths by Month in 2023 and 2024
| Month | 2023 | 2024 |
| January | 0 | 3 |
| February | 3 | 6 |
| March | 5 | 3 |
| April | 0 | 10 |
| May | 3 | 0 |
| June | 2 | 4 |
| July | 5 | 0 |
| August | 4 | 3 |
| September | 6 | 4 |
| October | 1 | 3 |
| November | 2 | 4 |
| December | 3 |
Officer Deaths by Time of Incident
| Time | Felonious Deaths | Accidental Deaths |
| 7 a.m. to 3 p.m. | 8 | 6 |
| 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. | 11 | 12 |
| 11 p.m. to 7 a.m. | 8 | 4 |
| Time not reported | 28 | 18 |
| Off duty | 4 | 0 |
Demographics of Officers Feloniously Killed
Race
- White: 52
- Black or African American: 7
Sex
- Male: 58
- Female: 1
Ethnicity
- Not reported: 37
- Not Hispanic or Latino: 20
- Hispanic or Latino: 2
Demographics of Offenders
Race
- White: 31
- Black or African American: 22
- Not reported: 7
Sex
- Male: 54
- Female: 6
Ethnicity:
- Not reported: 57
- Not Hispanic or Latino: 2
- Hispanic or Latino: 1
Felonious Killings by Weapons Used by Offender
Firearm: 41
- Not reported: 38
- Handgun: 2
- Unknown: 1
Vehicle: 11
Personal weapon (hands, fists, etc.): 6
Knife/cutting instrument: 1
Felonious Killings by Distance from Firearm
0-5 feet: 2
6-10 feet: 1
Not reported: 38
Location of Fatal Firearm Wound
Not reported: 38
Torso or arms: 2
Head or neck: 1
Victims and Incidents
Victims: 59
Incidents: 57
