The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial has released its mid-year analysis of line-of-duty deaths for 2011. As about anyone On The Job is already aware, this is a record year for not only officer homicides, but multiple officer homicides (meaning, two or more officers killed in one incident). Overall line of duty deaths have increased 14% this year over last with 98 officers killed during the first six months of 2011 (and 2010 was worse than 2009). Of those, no less than 44 were murdered by gunfire. That’s a 20 year high. To make matters worse, 10 more officers have been killed in the line of duty since then (as of today) and 4 of them were shot to death (most recently, as best we’re aware, Officer James McCandless of Rapid City/SD PD, who was murdered Tuesday the 2nd).
For more on this preliminary NLEOMF report read this PoliceOne mid-year law enforcement fatality article. The actual NLEOMF report on line of duty police deaths is in their archives.
Be careful out here boys and girls, they will damn sure kill you.