The FBI released a graphic presentation of data regarding line-of-duty deaths, both felonious and accidental, collected from law enforcement agencies across the United States and U.S. territories by the FBI’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted Data Collection. This preliminary information is provided for officer safety studies, training, and other initiatives. The data are also published annually in the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted release. The data is accurate as of 01/01/2023.
The 60 law enforcement officers feloniously killed in 2022 represent a 17.8% decrease compared to the 73 officers killed during 2021. Firearms were used in 81.7% of the felonious deaths in 2022, with 59.2% of the type of firearm used not currently reported. The leading circumstances surrounding officers’ deaths included activities related to ambushes on officers, investigative/enforcement activities, unprovoked attacks on officers, and responses to disorderly/disturbance calls. The 12 ambush attacks in 2022 are a 50% increase compared to the eight ambush attacks in 2021. Conversely, unprovoked attacks in 2022 (six) decreased by 75% compared to 2021 (24). Accidental law enforcement deaths increased by 3.6% in 2022 (58) compared to 2021 (56). The accidental deaths in 2022 were due primarily to motor vehicle accidents, pedestrian officers being struck by vehicles, and airplane crashes. The southern region had the most law enforcement deaths in 2022, with 65 deaths total (31 felonious, 34 accidental). Although not represented in the graphics below, 81 died in the line of duty in 2022 from the following medical conditions: 52 officers from illnesses related to COVID-19, 12 officers due to heart attacks, five officers from conditions as a result of responses to 9/11, and 12 officers due to other natural causes.
A bar graph shows officer deaths by year. Numbers of felonious deaths are shown for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. Numbers of accidental deaths are shown for the years 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, and 2022. The number of felonious deaths for 2022 is 60. The number of felonious deaths for 2021 is 73. The number of felonious deaths for 2020 is 46. The number of felonious deaths for 2019 is 48. The number of felonious deaths for 2019 is 57. The number of accidental deaths for 2022 is 58. The number of accidental deaths for 2021 is 56. The number of accidental deaths for 2020 is 46. The number of accidental deaths for 2019 is 41. The number of accidental deaths for 2018 is 50.