Page:Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted 1997.pdf/7



During 1997, 65 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty. Law enforcement agencies in 29 states and the District of Columbia reported officers’ deaths. Of the victims, 34 were employed by city police departments, 20 by county police and sheriffs’ offices, 9 by state agencies, and 2 by federal agencies. (See Table 1.)

The total was 16 percent higher in 1997 than in 1996 when 56 officers were slain. Comparisons for 5- and 10-year periods showed the number of officers slain in 1997 was 7 percent lower than in 1993 and was 17 percent lower than the 1988 total.

Victims

All of the 65 officers killed in 1997 were males. The average age of officers slain was 37. One victim was under the age of 25; 17 were between the ages of 25 and 30; 23 were ages 31 through 40; and 24 were over 40 years of age. Fifty-two of the slain officers were white, 11 were black, 1 was Asian/Pacific Islander, and 1 was American Indian. (See Table 19.)

The law enforcement officers killed in 1997 averaged 10 years of police experience. Eighteen officers had over 10 years of law enforcement service; 31 had 5 to 10 years of service; and 11 had 1 to 4 years. Four officers had less than 1 year of service. Years of law enforcement service was not reported for one law enforcement officer.

Circumstances Surrounding Deaths

During 1997, 19 officers lost their lives during arrest situations. A further breakdown of these situations showed 8 officers were killed by robbery suspects, 5 by burglary suspects, 1 by suspects during drug-related situations, and 5 by assailants suspected of other crimes. (See Table 17.)

Fourteen officers were killed upon responding to disturbance calls, 11 of which involved family disputes; 11 were ambushed; 9 were slain while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances; 7 were killed while enforcing traffic laws; 4 were slain while handling or transporting prisoners; and 1 was killed while dealing with a mentally deranged individual.

Types of Assignment

Figures for 1988 through 1997 show that the largest percentage of victim officers were assigned to vehicle patrol when they were slain. Forty-nine percent of the vehicle patrol officers were alone and unassisted at the time of their deaths, and 31 percent of the victim officers on other types of assignments were alone and unassisted. (See Table 16.)

Patrol officers accounted for 47 of the 65 victims in 1997. Of those officers killed while on patrol, 34 were assigned to 1-officer vehicles and 13 to 2-officer vehicles. Ten victims were on detective or special assignment, and 8 were off duty but acting in an official capacity. (See Table 17.)

Alleged Assailants

In 1997, 64 of the 65 slayings of law enforcement officers have been cleared. Of the 71 suspects identified in connection with the murders, 70 were male; gender was