Table 25
Law Enforcement Officers Feloniously Killed
Specific Activity Being Performed by Victim Officer at Time of Attack, 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 | 40 | 5 | 7 | 9 | 12 | 7 |
| Attempting to restrain/control/handcuff offender(s) | 29 | 5 | 4 | 5 | 9 | 6 | |
| Attempting to restrain/control/handcuff other individual 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Maintaining custody of prisoner (in vehicle, precinct, etc.) 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Verbal advisement only | 11 | 0 | 3 | 4 | 3 | 1 | |
| Assisting another law enforcement officer | Total | 9 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
| Foot pursuit | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| High-risk traffic stop 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Officer down (requiring emergency assistance) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Officer requiring emergency assistance (not pursuit) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Providing/deploying flares, traffic cones, etc. | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Providing/deploying spike strips/stop sticks 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.) 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Vehicular pursuit | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Other emergency circumstance | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other nonemergency circumstance | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Assisting motorist | Total | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Citizen complaint | Total | 4 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 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 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
| Drug complaint | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Traffic complaint | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 14 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 |
| Active shooter 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Assault | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Burglary | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 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) | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Robbery | 3 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
| Shooting/shots being fired (not "active shooter" situation) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | |
| Tampering with vehicle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other crime against person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other crime against property | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
| Disorder/disturbance | Total | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 |
| Civil disorder (mass disobedience, riot, etc.) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Disturbance (disorderly subject, fight, etc.) | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 2 | |
| Domestic disturbance (family quarrel, no assault) | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Domestic violence | 5 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 | |
| Encounter/assist an emotionally disturbed person | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Investigative/enforcement | Total | 112 | 18 | 33 | 22 | 25 | 14 |
| Active shooter 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Animal cruelty 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Drug-related matter (drug bust, buy, etc.) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Handling person with mental illness | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| High-risk traffic stop 3 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
| Investigative activity | 21 | 1 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 3 | |
| Mass casualty 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Motor vehicle crash | 2 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | |
| Official contact (not an arrest situation) 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
| Possible DUI/DWI suspect (operating a vehicle) | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 28 | 6 | 12 | 5 | 4 | 1 | |
| Tactical situation4 | 33 | 6 | 9 | 7 | 11 | — | |
| Traffic violation stop | 17 | 3 | 3 | 4 | 2 | 5 | |
| Undercover situation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Wanted person | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
| Out of service (court, dining, etc.)2 | Total | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Providing/deploying equipment (flares, traffic cones, etc.)2 | Total | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 |
| Pursuit | Total | 22 | 2 | 8 | 5 | 5 | 2 |
| Foot | 17 | 1 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 1 | |
| Vehicular (anything other than foot) | 5 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
| Report of crime | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Active shooter 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Assault | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Burglary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Homicide | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Larceny-theft | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Mass casualty 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Motor vehicle theft | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Person with firearm (no shots fired) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Robbery | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Shooting/shots fired (not "active shooter" situation) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Tampering with vehicle | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other crime against person | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Other crime against property | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
| Respond to alarm (audible/silent) | Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Burglary | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 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 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 |
| Tactical situation4 | Total | 10 | — | — | — | — | 10 |
| Active shooter 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Barricaded/hostage situation 2 | 3 | — | — | — | — | 3 | |
| Mass casualty 2 | 0 | — | — | — | — | 0 | |
| Serving/attempting to serve arrest warrant 2 | 2 | — | — | — | — | 2 | |
| Serving/attempting to serve search warrant 2 | 4 | — | — | — | — | 4 | |
| Other tactical situation 2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
| Traffic control (crash scene, directing traffic, etc.) | Total | 6 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Other | Total | 18 | 5 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 3 |
- 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.