Police officer deaths across the nation are down from last year, according to a new report from the the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
The 2023 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report shows 52 federal, state and local police in the United States have died in the line-of- duty so far this year. This is a decrease of approximately 66% from the 153 killed by the same time in 2022.
“There’s no question the majority of this decline that we’re looking at is almost entirely related to COVID,” Interim CEO Bill Alexander told WTOP. “Last year at this time, we had 72 deaths that we believe [were] related to COVID (in the) line of duty. This year, we are at two.”
The report also showed a 24% decrease in firearm-related deaths, down from 33 to 25, and a 63% decrease in traffic deaths from 30 to 11.
Of those traffic deaths, in 2022, 11 officers died from being struck while outside of their vehicle at traffic stops.
“It really is quite a risky endeavor for police officers who are on the side of major roadways and highways, outside of that protective barrier of their car,” said Alexander.
So far in 2023, the country has only seen two officers killed being struck outside their vehicle.
Neither Maryland nor D.C. have seen an officer killed in the line of duty during 2023, while one officer in Virginia died in June from gunshot wounds received while on duty.
Officer Mark Wagner responded to an assault call in Nelson County, Virginia, outside of Charlottesville. During a struggle over Wagner’s service weapon, Daniel Barmak, 23, of Towson, Maryland, allegedly shot and killed the officer, police said.
Barmak has been charged with capital murder.
While deaths have gone down from peaks seen in recent years, they pale in comparison to the law enforcement death rates seen over a decade ago.
“I suspect, very strongly, that some of that is playing into the officers who are purposely putting themselves at increased risks and an effort to minimize their direct use of force, or interactions with the public,” said Anderson.
