One hundred twenty-two police officers were killed in the line of duty last year in the U.S., says an Associated Press story on a new report from the FBI. Of the total, 55 were killed intentionally, two fewer than in 2004. Fifty officers were killed with guns, and vehicles were used in five deaths. At the time of death, 34 officers were wearing body armor; the FBI did not say whether bullets penetrated the armor.
Handguns were used to kill 42 officers, while five were shot with shotguns and three with rifles. Six officers were killed with their own weapons. Twenty-eight officers were killed in the South, 10 in the Midwest, 10 in the West, and five in the Northeast; two officers were killed in Puerto Rico. There were 67 accidental officer deaths, 15 fewer than a year earlier. The preliminary numbers come from more than 10,000 state, local, and tribal law enforcement agencies. The FBI publishes final numbers in the fall.
Link: http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0516officerskilled0516.html