FBI Releases Preliminary Statistics for Law Enforcement Officers Killed in 2009

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May 11 : 2010
FBI Releases Preliminary Statistics for Law Enforcement Officers Killed in 2009

According to preliminary statistics released today by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 48 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty during 2009. Geographically, 21 of the victim officers were killed in the South, 13 in the West, seven in the Northeast, and five in the Midwest. Two officers were slain in Puerto Rico. The total number of officers killed is seven higher than in 2008.

By circumstance, 15 deaths occurred as a result of ambush situations, nine officers died during arrest situations, eight were killed while handling traffic pursuits/stops, five died responding to disturbance calls, four while investigating suspicious persons/circumstances, four during tactical situations, two while handling and transporting prisoners, and one while handling a person with a mental illness.

A breakdown of weapons revealed that firearms were used in the majority of slayings. Of the 45 officers killed with firearms, 28 were killed with handguns, 15 with rifles, and two with shotguns. Three officers were killed with vehicles.

At the time they were killed, 35 law enforcement officers were wearing body armor. Twelve officers fired their weapons, and nine of the slain law enforcement officers attempted to fire their weapons. Seven officers had their weapons stolen, and two officers were slain with their own weapons.

The 48 law enforcement officers were killed in 37 separate incidents in 2009. All of the incidents have been cleared by arrest or exceptional means.

In addition to the officers who were feloniously killed, 47 law enforcement officers were accidentally killed in 2009. This number is 21 lower than the previous year's number.

The FBI will release final statistics in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program's annual report, Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, which will be published on the Internet in the fall of this year.
Click to expand...

Good luck.

Fred
 
While I haven't seen this report, in past years "accidental" refers to things like car crashes, falling off of a roof, etc. A negligent discharge fatality would be included, but it's usually the same kind of accidents that befall everyone else.
 
I'm more interested in the "attempted to fire their weapons" blurb.

Does that mean their weapons malfed, that they didn't have time to get a shot off after they had drawn, or what?
 
I'm guessing by ambush they mean the cops were specifically targeted in a surprise attack. For example, the 4 cops who were murdered at the coffee shop in Lakewood, WA by a guy who was on out on bail after committing crimes while on parole, while he was on parole after his original sentence was commuted.
 
According to the officer down memorial page, in 2009 the on duty deaths for cops were:

Felonious assault 60
---47 killed by gunfire by non-cops
---1 corrections officer died after being hit over the head with a pipe by a prisoner
---3 officers died as a result of illnesses contracted on 9/11
---9 died as a result of being intentionally run over by criminals


Transportation accidents 51
51 were killed in non-felonious traffic accidents:
---4 were killed in 2 separate plane crashes
---3 killed in motorcycle crashes
---3 in vehicle pursuits by crashing
---34 were killed in non pursuit car accidents
---7 were killed after unintentionally being struck by a vehicle

Freak accident 3
1 was killed by a falling tree during a snowstorm
2 killed after being shot by other cops

Miscellaneous 1
1 died from Hepatitis C contracted from an inmate

Natural Causes 11
9 heart attacks
2 died after collapsing during PT


For example: Of the 8 Florida cops who died in the line of duty in 2009:
3 of them were killed in car crashes.
One was was a corrections officer killed by an inmate with a pipe
4 were killed by gunfire, but one of those was shot in 1986, and his killer was executed in 2000
the other three were all killed by handguns. One odd fact- one of the 3 was killed by a former police officer

Note that the ODMP counts do not match the FBI counts because the ODMP counts the LODD as occurring on the date of death, and the FBI counts the LODD as of the date of injury.

For example the ODMP has officers injured in 9/11 listed as being killed in 2009.
 
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Now, to have these stats mean something, we need to know how that works out per capita and compare that data to non-police. Another useful stat would be how many criminals were killed by cops and compare that to how many criminals were killed by non-police on a per capita basis.

Those are stats we can sink our teeth into.

Woody
 
The 15 ambush deaths were as follows:
4 in Oakland, CA on March 21 by a parolee. In other words, a prohibited person.

3 in Pittsburgh on April 4 by Richard Poplawski, a white supremecist that was subject to a domestic violence restraining order and had been dishonorable discharged from the Marines. In other words, he was a prohibited person.

2 in Okaloosa County, FL April 25, no details available about the shooter

4 in Lakewood, WA on Nov 29 by Maurice Clemmons, who had been convicted previously of at least 13 felonies. His first incarceration began in 1989, at age 17. Facing sentences totaling 108 years in prison, the burglary sentences were reduced in 2000 by Governor of Arkansas Mike Huckabee to 47 years, which made him immediately eligible for parole. He was released in 2000. In other words, he was not only a prohibited person, but had he served his sentence, the cops would not have been killed.

2 in Oklahoma on July 26, shot by Ezekiel Holbert, he was also under a domestic violence protection order, and thus was a prohibited person.
 
Just a point of interest for me:

How many were killed by legally armed citizens?

After all, the Brady Bunch is always bitching and moaning how we CCW holders are so dangerous......
 
When I was in the academy we were shown statistics that indicate that the number of police officer suicides has for decades been about twice as high as how many police officer homicides there are. I wonder what LEO suicide rates were for last year.
 
Superlite27 said:
Just a point of interest for me:

How many were killed by legally armed citizens?

After all, the Brady Bunch is always bitching and moaning how we CCW holders are so dangerous......
Click to expand...
My sentiments exactly. If CCW is such a horrible thing you'd think cops would get killed right and left by those who've secured the permits.
 
ConstitutionCowboy said:
Now, to have these stats mean something, we need to know how that works out per capita and compare that data to non-police.
Click to expand...

FBI stats for 2008 (latest)

5.4 homicides (non-negligent manslaughter or murder) per 100,000

From DM's stats LEO 5.6 homicides/100,000

I assume that the FBI crime figures include LEO felonious deaths, but it's a small sample from overall (~860k compared to ~304M) almost a 0.28% sample size not particularly significant.
 
The murder stats for officers have been declining steadily since the 70's. In 1976 there were over 100 murdered, as I recall.
Another stat that interested me was the number of reported assaults on police officers, not resulting in death. In 1983 there were, I believe, ninety seven some thousand assaults on officers resulting in injury. That stuck in my mind because in 1983 I suffered an injury in a fight with a guy, which has been with me ever since. I remember thinking at the time I read the statistic, "hey, I was one of those." Like seeing your picture in a crowd photo or something.
Anyway, seems hard to believe that crime used to be worse, doesn't it? I am sure that the widespread use of body armor has a lot to do with the lower number of murdered officers. When I started body armor was kind of a novelty. I only knew two guys who had it, in a city of 90,000. And they were on different departments!
Also, I'm thinking probably NO ccw people were involved; just a wild guess.
 
2 in Okaloosa County, FL April 25, no details available about the shooter

This one was done by a National Guard member who abused his wife. It was covered by Mas in one of the gun mags this spring. Sad story
 
I assume that the FBI crime figures include LEO felonious deaths, but it's a small sample from overall (~860k compared to ~304M) almost a 0.28% sample size not particularly significant.
Click to expand...

It is just as significant as calling Washington DC the murder capital of the US with a murder rate of 45.8 per 100,000. (FBI uniform crime report, 2002)

Also, this is not a sample that can be used for statistical purposes, as the sample is not random.
 
... a moment of silence and respect for people who put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Thank you from my family and I.
 
... a moment of silence and respect for people who put their lives on the line for the rest of us. Thank you from my family and I.
Click to expand...

+1.
They're not just statistics.
 
My neighbor and good friend is a cop, and it always pains me to see these statistics. He is a great guy as I am sure many of these fallen officers were as well. When one of your loved ones works in LE, these numbers tend to have a more personal meaning. It is the unfortunate nature of this line of work. I assume that the work gets even harder as the stresses of the poor economy take their toll on society. 2009 was a rough year for everyone... I am surprised it went as well as it did.
 
How about "friendly fire" incidents? There was a persistent rumor that the door guard at the Holocaust Museum was a victim of friendly fire from his fellow guards, and that the white supremacist with the .22 rifle never even got a shot off.
Was there an autopsy on the slain guard?
 
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