Official websites use .gov

A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS

A lock () or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Home LEOKA 2019 Tables Table 23

Table 23

Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed

Call for Service or Reason for Victim Officer's Involvement, 2015–20191

Circumstance Total 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Number of victim officers Total 257 41 66 46 56 48
Administrative assignment Total 7 4 0 1 2 0
Prisoner transport 4 1 0 1 2 0
Other administrative assignment 3 3 0 0 0 0
Arrest situation Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
Maintaining custody of prisoner (in vehicle, precinct, etc.) 2 0 0
Assisting another law enforcement officer Total 22 5 4 5 6 2
Foot pursuit 2 2 0 0 0 0
High-risk traffic stop 2 1 1
Officer down (requiring emergency assistance) 2 0 1 0 1 0
Officer requiring emergency assistance (not pursuit) 5 1 0 2 2 0
Providing/deploying flares, traffic cones, etc. 1 1 0 0 0 0
Providing/deploying spike strips/stop sticks 2 0 0
Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.) 2 0 0
Vehicular pursuit 4 0 1 1 1 1
Other emergency circumstance 1 0 1 0 0 0
Other nonemergency circumstance 6 1 1 2 2 0
Assisting motorist Total 2 1 0 1 0 0
Citizen complaint Total 9 2 0 0 5 2
Animal bite 0 0 0 0 0 0
Animal disturbance (barking dog, unleashed dog, etc.) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Business check 0 0 0 0 0 0
Check on welfare of citizen 7 2 0 0 4 1
Drug complaint 0 0 0 0 0 0
Traffic complaint 2 0 0 0 1 1
Trespassing2 0 0
Verbal complaint of noncriminal violation 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other citizen complaint 2 0 0
Crime in progress Total 40 4 9 7 11 9
Active shooter 2 0 0
Assault 1 0 0 0 1 0
Burglary 6 1 2 0 2 1
Larceny-theft 2 0 0 1 0 1
Mass casualty 2 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 3 0 0 1 1 1
Person with firearm (no shots fired) 6 1 4 0 1 0
Robbery 7 1 2 1 1 2
Shooting/shots being fired (not "active shooter" situation) 11 1 1 4 4 1
Tampering with vehicle 1 0 0 0 0 1
Other crime against person 0 0 0 0 0 0
Other crime against property 3 0 0 0 1 2
Disorder/disturbance Total 36 3 12 4 8 9
Civil disorder (mass disobedience, riot, etc.) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Disturbance (disorderly subject, fight, etc.) 11 0 3 1 4 3
Domestic disturbance (family quarrel, no assault) 13 0 7 3 1 2
Domestic violence 12 3 2 0 3 4
Encounter/assist an emotionally disturbed person Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
Investigative/enforcement Total 101 15 24 24 17 21
Active shooter 2 0 0
Animal cruelty 2 0 0
Drug-related matter (drug bust, buy, etc.) 7 0 2 0 2 3
Handling person with mental illness 1 0 0 0 0 1
High-risk traffic stop 3 2 0 0 0 1 1
Investigative activity 9 0 3 4 2 0
Mass casualty 2 0 0
Motor vehicle crash 6 1 1 2 0 2
Official contact (not an arrest situation) 2 0 0
Possible DUI/DWI suspect (operating a vehicle) 3 1 1 0 1 0
Serving/attempting to serve search warrant (non-tactical) 2 0 0
Surveillance activity 2 0 0
Suspicious package 2 0 0
Suspicious person/circumstance 20 6 4 5 3 2
Tactical situation4 8 1 3 3 1
Traffic violation stop 23 4 3 8 2 6
Undercover situation 2 0 1 0 0 1
Wanted person 20 2 6 2 5 5
Out of service (court, dining, etc.)2 Total 0 0
Providing/deploying equipment (flares, traffic cones, etc.)2 Total 0 0
Pursuit Total 0 0 0 0 0 0
Foot 0 0 0 0 0 0
Vehicular (anything other than foot) 0 0 0 0 0 0
Report of crime Total 14 2 6 1 3 2
Active shooter 2 0 0
Assault 0 0 0 0 0 0
Burglary 0 0 0 0 0 0
Homicide 2 1 0 0 1 0
Larceny-theft 1 0 0 0 0 1
Mass casualty 2 0 0
Motor vehicle theft 0 0 0 0 0 0
Person with firearm (no shots fired) 1 0 1 0 0 0
Robbery 3 1 0 0 1 1
Shooting/shots fired (not "active shooter" situation) 4 0 3 1 0 0
Tampering with vehicle 1 0 0 0 1 0
Other crime against person 2 0 2 0 0 0
Other crime against property 0 0 0 0 0 0
Respond to alarm (audible/silent) Total 1 0 0 0 1 0
Burglary 1 0 0 0 1 0
Fire 2 0 0
Medical emergency 2 0 0
Robbery 0 0 0 0 0 0
Serving/attempting to serve court order (eviction notice, subpoena, etc.)2 Total 0 0
Tactical situation4 Total 2 2
Active shooter 2 0 0
Barricaded/hostage situation 2 0 0
Mass casualty 2 0 0
Serving/attempting to serve arrest warrant 2 0 0
Serving/attempting to serve search warrant 2 2 2
Other tactical situation 2 0 0
Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.) Total 5 0 4 0 1 0
Other Total 18 5 7 3 2 1
Not applicable2 Total 0 0
  • 1Ten years of data for the topics presented in this table are not available at this time. A 10-year table is expected to be available for the publication of 2020 data.
  • 2Beginning in 2019, this category/subcategory was added as an option to the list of circumstances.
  • 3Prior to 2019, the circumstance "High-risk traffic stop" was collected as "Traffic stop (felony traffic stop)."
  • 4Prior to 2019, the circumstance "Tactical situation" was collected under the category of "Investigative/enforcement" and did not include subcategories.