Table 65
Law Enforcement Officers Accidentally Killed
Type of Accident and Activity of Victim Officer, 2015–20191
Circumstance | Total | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of victim officers | Total | 236 | 45 | 52 | 48 | 50 | 41 |
Aircraft crash | Total | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Drowning | Total | 10 | 0 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 |
Engaging in foot pursuit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Patrolling | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 1 | |
Recovery operation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Rescue operation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Tactical situation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Training exercise | 3 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | |
Other | 3 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 | |
Fall | Total | 3 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
Avoiding hazardous situation/object | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Engaging in foot pursuit | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Patrolling | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Recovery operation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Rescue operation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Tactical situation | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Training exercise | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Other | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Firearm-related incident | Total | 9 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 3 |
Cleaning weapon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Engaging in foot pursuit | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Non-range training | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Patrolling | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Performing an arrest | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Range training | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Tactical situation | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Tactical training | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Other | 4 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Motor vehicle crash | Total | 156 | 34 | 33 | 36 | 34 | 19 |
Assisting/investigating vehicle crash | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Assisting motorist | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Engaging in vehicle pursuit | 18 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 5 | 0 | |
Escorting dignitary or funeral | 6 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 2 | 1 | |
Overseeing work zone | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Patrolling | 40 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 8 | 5 | |
Performing traffic control | 4 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | |
Performing traffic stop | 8 | 1 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 0 | |
Responding to emergency | 40 | 7 | 7 | 10 | 8 | 8 | |
Responding to nonemergency | 11 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
Training | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
Other | 27 | 8 | 5 | 6 | 4 | 4 | |
Pedestrian officer struck by vehicle | Total | 50 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 9 | 16 |
Assisting/investigating vehicle crash | 11 | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
Assisting motorist | 7 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | |
Providing/deploying equipment | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | |
Engaging in foot pursuit2 | 1 | — | — | — | — | 1 | |
Overseeing work zone | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
Patrolling | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Performing traffic control | 6 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 2 | |
Performing traffic stop | 12 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 2 | 5 | |
Training | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | |
Other | 11 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 4 | |
Other accidental | Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 2 | 1 |
- 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, the activity "Engaging in foot pursuit" was added as an option for "Pedestrian officer struck by vehicle."