Replies

I think the facts are a necessary prelude to an intelligent discussion but are not sufficient as in this case.

My response was to a poster who complained about a gun being drawn, not a response to a fatality caused by a police officer. I was putting the situation in context to illustrate why an officer needs to be sure that the situation is under control. In some circumstances a gun will be drawn while the driver is evaluated if the behavior of the driver or a recent crime with vehicle/subject description warrants. It is not bad policing and if the driver is polite, complies with requests, keeps hands in sight there is no issue.

The NLEOMF announced in its 2017 Preliminary Law Enforcement Fatalities Report that 128 federal, state, local, tribal and territorial officers died in the line of duty over the past year, which is the lowest annual figure since 2013 when 117 officers died. The 128 officer fatalities in 2017 represents a 10 percent decrease over the 143 who died in the line of duty last year, and reversed three consecutive years of increases in officer deaths.

Traffic-related incidents claimed the lives of 47 officers in 2017, a 13 percent drop compared to the 54 officers killed in traffic-related incidents in 2016. However, there was an increase in the number of officers killed in single-vehicle collisions, with 14 officers killed compared to 11 in 2016. Single-vehicle crashes accounted for 42 percent of all fatal crashes in 2017.

The number of officers struck and killed while outside of their vehicle decreased 40 percent over last year, with nine in 2017 compared to 15 in 2016. Over the past 20 years, traffic-related incidents have been the number one cause of officer fatalities.

Forty-four officers were shot and killed across the country in 2017, which represents a 33 percent reduction over 2016 when 66 officers died as a result of gunfire. Seven of these fatalities involved officers responding to a domestic disturbance, the number one circumstance of firearms-related deaths.

Thirty-seven officers died from other causes in 2017. Sixteen of those deaths were attributed to job-related ailments, mostly heart attacks (10). Seven officers died as a result of being beaten. Five drowned while working during hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria. Four officers died as a result of an illness contracted during the 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts. Two officers died in a helicopter crash. Two died in boating accidents. One officer was stabbed to death.