BLUE LIVES

U.S. Police Deaths Up From Last Year: 144 So Far in 2018

More than 50 were shot dead.

The number of U.S. police officers who have died in the line in duty has jumped by 12 percent this year, with 144 dying so far in 2018. That’s 15 more than the 129 who died in 2017. The figure comes from a report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and includes federal, state, and local officers. Of the 144 dead, 52 died from gunfire—that’s up from 46 in 2017. Fatal injuries from car or motorcycle crashes accounted for 50 deaths, while other fatalities involved heart attacks, strokes, drownings, and cancer and other illnesses among the officers who responded to the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks at the World Trade Center. Craig Floyd, the fund’s chief executive, called the increase in deaths disappointing after a decline in 2017. “Sadly, this reminds us that public safety is a dangerous job and can come at a very steep price,” Floyd said. “We must never take the service and sacrifice of law-enforcement officers for granted, and we must remember the families of the fallen who are left behind.”