Nationwide, 51 law enforcement
officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty in 2000,
according to preliminary statistics released today by the FBI.
This number is an increase of 9 from the 1999 total of 42.
In 2000, firearms were again
the weapon most often used in the slaying of officers with 33
officers slain with handguns, 10 with rifles, and 4 with shotguns.
Two officers were slain with their own weapons. Additionally,
3 officers were killed by vehicles, and 1 officer was killed
with a knife. Thirty officers were wearing body armor at the
time of their deaths.
By region, 32 officers were feloniously
killed in the South, 13 in the Midwest,
4 in the West, and 2 in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. No
officers were feloniously killed in the Northeast.
Twelve officers lost their lives
in arrest situations: 6 were serving arrest warrants, 3 were
investigating drug-related situations, 2 were trying to prevent
robberies or apprehend robbery suspects, and 1 was attempting
to prevent a burglary or apprehend a burglary suspect. Another
13 officers were murdered while enforcing traffic laws, 10 while
encountering ambush situations, 8 while answering disturbance
calls, 6 while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances,
and 2 while handling prisoners.
The 51 officers were slain in
50 separate incidents in 2000. Forty-eight of these incidents
were cleared by arrest or exceptional means. Two suspects remain
at large.
In addition, preliminary statistics
indicate 83 officers were accidentally killed in the performance
of their duties in 2000an increase of 18 compared to the
65 accidental deaths in 1999.
Final statistics and complete
details will be released in the Uniform Crime Reporting Program's
publication Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2000
expected to be distributed in the fall of this year.