Wednesday, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund issued a new 2019 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report with preliminary data through June 30, 2019, revealing that 60 law enforcement officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2019—a 35 percent decrease over the same period last year (92).
Of these 60 officers, 27 were killed in firearms-related incidents, 21 were killed in traffic-related incidents, and 12 died due to other causes such as job-related illnesses.
Key Facts
- Firearms-related fatalities were the leading cause of law enforcement deaths for the first half of this year, with 27 fatalities in 2019, compared to 31 in the same period in 2018—a decrease of 13 percent. Notably, four of these deaths occurred while officers were responding to a robbery call, four officers were killed as a result of being ambushed and three officers were killed responding to domestic disturbance calls. Additional circumstances are included in the 2019 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report.
- Traffic-related fatalities (21) decreased 25 percent in the first half of 2019 compared to last year (28). Five of these fatalities were the result of crashes involving another vehicle or fixed object; four were the result of single-vehicle crashes and 11 officers were struck while outside of their vehicles.
- Twelve officers died of other causes compared to 33 officers who died as a result of other causes during the first half of 2018. That represents a 64 percent decrease over the same time period last year.
- Texas leads the country in officer fatalities, losing six officers in the line of duty for the first half of 2019; Illinois lost five officers, Alabama lost four officers. Three officers died in the states of California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Tennessee. Three federal officers, two territorial and two tribal officers were also killed in the line of duty as of June 30, 2019.
- The National Law Enforcement Museum at the Motorola Solutions Foundation Building, a project of the Memorial Fund, opened October 13, 2018, in Washington, DC across from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial. The Museum’s Hall of Remembrance provides a reflective space for visitors to remember those officers who have made the ultimate sacrifice.
Supporting Quote:
“While we’re encouraged to see a 35 percent decrease in the number of line-of-duty deaths thus far, it’s important to remember that even one fallen officer is one too many,” said Memorial Fund Interim CEO Lori Sharpe Day. “The Memorial Fund’s mission is to honor these brave men and women who have given their lives to keep all of us safe. We hope with a continued emphasis on training as well as programs that focus on officer safety and wellness, we will continue to see a decrease in officer fatalities.”
A copy of the full report, “2019 Mid-Year Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report,” is available at www.LawMemorial.org/FatalitiesReport.