On May 4, 2020, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released data on law enforcement officers killed in the lined of duty in 2019. In total, 89 officers perished, with 48 of those as a result of felonious acts. The other 41 officers died due to accidents while performing their duties.
Felonious Deaths
Total Officers: 48
Circumstances:
Investigative or Law Enforcement Activities: 15
Tactical Situations: 9
Unprovoked Attacks: 5
Responding to Crimes in Progress: 4
Arrest Situations: 3
Vehicular or Foot Pursuits: 6
Responding to Disorders or Disturbances: 3
Ambushed (Entrapment/Premeditation)
Serving, or Attempted to Serve, a Court Order: 1
Accidental Deaths
Total Officers: 41
Circumstances:
Motor Vehicle Crashes: 19
Struck by Vehicles: 16
Firearm-related Incidents: 3
Drowned: 2
Duty-Related Accident: 1
While watching television as a child one day, I heard the following adage from a retired New Jersey detective, "The officer doesn't have to draw a line in the sand. He already has one. It's thin, and it's blue. It's his, and if someone crosses it, he will protect it." The symbolism of the thin blue line represents how seriously most police officers take the responsibility to serve their community. It would do us all well to remember it is the men and women in blue who sacrificed everything that gives us the privilege of resting peacefully in our beds at night.
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