The number of law enforcement officers feloniously killed in the line of duty last year dropped sharply, from 72 to 47, the FBI reports. Of the deaths, 12 resulted from injuries inflicted while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances, eight died while conducting traffic pursuits or stops, five in tactical situations, and five as a result of ambushes (four due to entrapment/premeditated situations and one during an unprovoked attack).
Four officers' deaths happened as a result of answering disturbance calls (two of which were domestic disturbance calls) and three officers were dealing with prisoners. Two officers sustained fatal injuries during drug-related matters, two were attempting to make other arrests, and two were performing investigative activities. Two officers were responding to robberies in progress, one was responding to a burglary in progress, and one officer was killed as a result of handling a person with a mental illness. Offenders used firearms in 43 of the 47 deaths. These included 30 incidents with handguns, seven with rifles, and three with shotguns. The type of firearm was not reported in three incidents. Two victim officers were killed with vehicles used as weapons; one was killed with a knife; and one officer died from injuries inflicted with personal weapons, such as hands, fists, or feet.