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Washington, D.C.
October 16, 2017 

FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

FBI Releases 2016 Statistics for Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted in the Line of Duty 

According to statistics collected by the FBI, 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2016. Of these, 66 law enforcement officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 52 officers died in accidents. In addition, 57,180 officers were victims of line-of-duty assaults. Comprehensive data tables about these incidents and brief narratives describing the fatal attacks and selected assaults resulting in injury are included in the 2016 edition of Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, released today. 

Felonious Deaths 

The 66 felonious deaths occurred in 29 states and in Puerto Rico. The number of officers killed as a result of criminal acts in 2016 increased by 25 when compared with the 41 officers who were feloniously killed in 2015. The 5- and 10-year comparisons show an increase of 17 felonious deaths compared with the 2012 figure (49 officers) and an increase of 8 deaths compared with 2007 data (58 officers). 

Officer Profiles: The average age of the officers who were feloniously killed was 40 years old. The victim officers had served in law enforcement for an average of 13 years at the times of the fatal incidents. Of the 66 officers, 64 were male, and 2 were female. Sixty-one of the officers were White, 4 were Black/African American, and 1 was Asian/Native Hawaiian/Other Pacific Islander. 

Circumstances: At the time the 66 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed:

• 17 were ambushed (entrapment/premeditation).
• 13 were answering disturbance calls (7 were domestic disturbance calls).
• 9 were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances.
• 6 were engaged in tactical situations.
• 5 were performing investigative activities (such as surveillances, searches, or interviews).
• 4 were conducting traffic pursuits/stops.
• 3 were investigating drug-related matters.
• 3 were victims of unprovoked attacks.
• 1 was answering a burglary in progress call or pursuing a burglary suspect(s).
• 1 was answering a robbery in progress call or pursuing a robbery suspect(s).
• 4 were attempting other arrests. 
  

Weapons: Offenders used firearms to kill 62 of the 66 victim officers. Of these 62 officers, 37 were slain with handguns, 24 with rifles, and 1 with a shotgun. Four officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons. 

Regions: Thirty of the felonious deaths occurred in the South, 17 in the West, 13 in the Midwest, 4 in the Northeast, and 2 in Puerto Rico. 

Suspects: Law enforcement agencies identified 59 alleged assailants in connection with the felonious line-of-duty deaths. Forty-five of the assailants had prior criminal arrests, and 14 of the offenders were under judicial supervision at the times of the felonious incidents.

Accidental Deaths

Fifty-two law enforcement officers were killed accidentally while performing their duties in 2016. The majority (26 officers) were killed in automobile accidents. The number of accidental line-of-duty deaths increased by 7 when compared with the 45 officers who were accidentally killed in 2015.

Officer Profiles: The average age of the officers who were accidentally killed was 38 years old; the average number of years the victim officers had served in law enforcement was 11. Of the 52 officers accidentally killed, 50 were male, and 2 were female. Forty of the officers were White, 9 were Black/African American, and race was not reported for 3 of the officers.

Circumstances: Of the 52 officers accidentally killed:

• 26 died as a result of automobile accidents. 
• 12 were struck by vehicles. 
• 7 officers died due to motorcycle accidents. 
• 3 were accidentally shot. 
• 2 officers drowned. 
• 1 died in an aircraft accident. 
• 1 officer died in another type of duty-related accident. 

Use of seatbelts: Use of seatbelts was reported for 21 of the 26 officers killed in automobile accidents. Of these 21 officers, 10 were wearing seatbelts, and 11 were not wearing seatbelts at the times of the accidents. Of the 11 victim officers who were fatally injured in automobile accidents and were not wearing seatbelts, 2 were seated in parked motor vehicles at the times of the accidents.

Regions: Twenty-four of the accidental deaths occurred in the South, 12 in the Midwest, 9 in the West, 5 in the Northeast, and 2 in Puerto Rico.

Assaults 

In 2016, of the 57,180 officers assaulted while performing their duties, 28.9 percent were injured. The largest percentage of victim officers (32.2 percent) were assaulted while responding to disturbance calls. Assailants used personal weapons (hands, fists, feet, etc.) in 78.0 percent of the incidents, firearms in 4.2 percent of incidents, and knives or other cutting instruments in 1.9 percent of the incidents. Other types of dangerous weapons were used in 16.0 percent of assaults.