WASHINGTON -- The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund on Tuesday issued a new 2018 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report.
The report, which included preliminary data through June, revealing that 73 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty so far in 2018 -- a 12 percent increase over the 65 that died during the same period last year.
Of the 73 officers, 31 were killed in firearms-related incidents, 27 were killed in traffic-related incidents, and 15 died due to other causes such as job-related illnesses.
Among the key findings, firearms-related fatalities increase 24 percent over same period last year
“Law enforcement officers put their badges on each day and work to keep citizens and communities safe" Memorial Fund CEO Craig W. Floyd said in a statement. “With 73 officers having made the ultimate sacrifice already this year, this report serves as an important reminder of the debt of gratitude that we owe the 900,000 men and women who serve in law enforcement each day. It's important for our citizenry to protect America's peace officers with the same dedication and commitment they show each day in protecting us.”
Key Facts
- Firearms-related fatalities were the leading cause of law enforcement deaths for the first half of this year, with 31 fatalities in 2018, compared to 25 in the same period in 2017—an increase of 24 percent. Notably, eight of these deaths occurred during an attempt to arrest a suspect, six officers were killed responding to domestic disturbance calls, and three officers were killed as a result of being ambushed. Additional circumstances are included in the 2018 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report.
- Traffic-related fatalities (27) increased slightly in the first half of 2018 compared to last year (26). Eleven of these fatalities were the result of multiple-vehicle automobile crashes; nine were the result of single-vehicle crashes and seven officers were struck while outside of their vehicles.
- Fifteen officers died of other causes, the majority of which were job-related illnesses. That's down 17 percent from the 18 deaths attributed to other causes during the same time period in 2017.
- Florida leads the country in officer fatalities, losing seven officers in the line of duty for the first half of 2018; New York, North Carolina and Texas each lost four officers. California, Kentucky, Ohio, and South Carolina each lost three officers as of June 30, 2018.
Information provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund
