Table 36
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed with Firearms
Location of Fatal Firearm Wound and Number of Victim Officers Wearing Body Armor, 2008–2017
| Location of fatal firearm wound | Total | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Number of victim officers killed with firearms | Total | 455 | 35 | 45 | 54 | 63 | 44 | 26 | 46 | 38 | 62 | 42 |
| Front head | 123 | 9 | 16 | 11 | 14 | 14 | 7 | 14 | 10 | 15 | 13 | |
| Rear head | 30 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 7 | 3 | 2 | |
| Side head | 70 | 8 | 5 | 10 | 13 | 6 | 5 | 9 | 2 | 6 | 6 | |
| Neck/throat | 46 | 5 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 7 | 3 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | |
| Front upper torso/chest | 97 | 7 | 11 | 15 | 14 | 5 | 8 | 6 | 7 | 12 | 12 | |
| Rear upper torso/back | 23 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 0 | 5 | 2 | 3 | 1 | |
| Front lower torso/abdomen | 24 | 4 | 1 | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Rear lower torso/back | 10 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Front below waist/groin area | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Rear below waist/buttocks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Arms/hands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Front legs/feet1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rear legs1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Multiple wound locations, unable to determine which was fatal wound 1 | 13 | — | — | — | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| Fatal wound location not reported | 13 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | |
| Number of victim officers killed with firearms while wearing body armor | Total | 328 | 29 | 33 | 37 | 47 | 23 | 18 | 36 | 27 | 47 | 31 |
| Front head | 98 | 9 | 12 | 7 | 11 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 8 | 14 | 11 | |
| Rear head | 23 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 8 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 4 | 2 | 1 | |
| Side head | 60 | 6 | 5 | 10 | 9 | 3 | 5 | 9 | 1 | 6 | 6 | |
| Neck/throat | 37 | 4 | 6 | 5 | 2 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Front upper torso/chest | 62 | 5 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 8 | 7 | |
| Rear upper torso/back | 14 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Front lower torso/abdomen | 11 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Rear lower torso/back | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | |
| Front below waist/groin area | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Rear below waist/buttocks | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Arms/hands | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Front legs/feet1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Rear legs1 | 1 | — | — | — | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Multiple wound locations, unable to determine which was fatal wound 1 | 12 | — | — | — | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 7 | 2 | |
| Fatal wound location not reported | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
- 1Beginning in 2011, new options were added, including: "Front legs/feet," "Rear legs," and "Multiple wound locations, unable to determine which was fatal wound."
