Line-Of-Duty Police Deaths Up 30 Percent Mid-Year

Line-of-duty police deaths for the first six months of 2017 were up 30 percent over police deaths for the same time period in 2016.

The deaths were led by “traffic-related fatalities.”

According to the National Law Officers Memorial Fund, “65 federal, state, and local law enforcement officers” died in the line of duty between January 1, 2017 and June 30, 2017. Fifty officers were killed during the same time period in 2016.

Traffic-related incidents account for 26 of the officer deaths in 2017–a 24 percent increase over traffic-related officer deaths during the same time period in 2016–and firearm-related incidents account for 23 of the officer deaths in 2017. By contrast, there were 21 firearm-related officer deaths during the first six months of 2016. The common circumstances in the firearm-related fatalities “were officers responding to domestic disturbances and conducting traffic stops.”

Sixteen officers dies of ailments and physical conditions while on duty. Such ailments included illnesses “contracted during the 9/11 rescue and recovery efforts,” and “cardiac events.”

Ten officers were killed in single vehicle accidents, which marks a 233 percent increase over the same time period in 2016.

The average age of the fallen officers was 40.

AWR Hawkins is the Second Amendment columnist for Breitbart News and host of Bullets with AWR Hawkins, a Breitbart News podcast. He is also the political analyst for Armed American Radio. Follow him on Twitter: @AWRHawkins. Reach him directly at awrhawkins@breitbart.com