May 1991 LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS KILLED: 1980 1989 By Victoria L. Major Supervisor, Uniform Crime Reporting Section Federal Bureau of Investigation Washington, D.C. The Federal Bureau of Investigation began to maintain and to publish statistics on law enforcement officers killed in 1961. The data collected over the years are a sad legacy of the dedicated men and women of this Nation's police forces who lost their lives protecting others. Yet, at the same time, the information provides an insightful look into this heinous crime. This article gives an overview of law enforcement officers killed during the years 1980-1989. THE 1980s During the decade of the 1980s, 801 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty. Officer deaths were recorded in 46 States; the District of Columbia; the U.S. territories of American Samoa, Guam, the Mariana Islands, Puerto Rico, and the Virgin Islands; and Mexico. Of the slain officers, 442 were employed by city police departments, 208 by county police and sheriff's offices, and 84 by State agencies. Twenty-three Federal agents and 44 territorial officers were also slain. The 1980s total was 30 percent lower than that of the 1970s, when 1,143 officers were slain. The highest annual total during the past decade was in the first year, 1980, when 104 officers were killed. The lowest totals were in 1986 and 1989, when each year registered 66 officers killed. This figure represents the lowest annual total since records have been kept. VICTIMS Of the 801 officers killed from 1980 through 1989, 783 were male and 18 were female. Seventy-seven officers were under 25 years of age; 515 were aged 25 to 40; and 209 were over 40 years old. By race, 703 of the slain officers were white; 96 were black; and 2 were of other races. The law enforcement officers killed during the past decade averaged 9 years' law enforcement experience. Veterans of more than 10 years accounted for 34 percent of the victim officers. Thirty-three percent had from 5 to 10 years of service; 29 percent, from 1 to 4 years of service; and 5 percent, less than 1 year of experience. The average height of officers killed during the 10-year period was 5 feet 11 inches. Seven of every 10 were in uniform when slain. CIRCUMSTANCES Arrest situations resulted in the deaths of law enforcement officers more frequently than any other activity during the 1980s. Two of every 5, or 327, of the officers slain were attempting an arrest when killed. Among the remaining victims, 132 were killed upon responding to disturbance calls (man with gun, bar fights, family quarrels); 117 were investigating suspicious persons or circumstances; 107 were conducting traffic pursuits or stops; 71 were ambushed; 34 were handling, transporting, or maintaining custody of prisoners; and 12 were handling mentally deranged individuals. One officer was slain during a civil disorder. TYPES OF ASSIGNMENT Patrol officers accounted for nearly two of every three officers slain throughout the decade. Detectives or officers on special assignment accounted for 23 percent of the victims, and 12 percent were off duty but acting in an official capacity when slain. Of those killed while on patrol, 78 percent were assigned to one-officer vehicles, 20 percent to two-officer vehicles, and 2 percent to foot patrol. Fifty-three percent of the patrol officers were alone and unassisted at the time of their deaths, while 30 percent of the victim officers on other types of assignment were alone and unassisted. WEAPONS Firearms claimed the lives of 92 percent or 735 of the 801 officers killed in the line of duty from 1980 through 1989. Seventy percent of the murders were committed by the use of handguns, 13 percent by rifles, and 9 percent by shotguns. The most common types of handguns used against officers were the .38 caliber and .357 magnum. These two weapons jointly accounted for nearly two of every three handgun deaths. More than one-half of the officers killed by gunshots during this same timeframe were within 5 feet of their assailants at the time of the attack. Fifty-four percent of the firearm fatalities were caused by wounds to the upper torso, while 42 percent resulted from wounds to the head. Of the 735 officers killed with firearms, 120 or 16 percent were killed with their own weapons. Handguns accounted for 118 of the service weapons used against the officers; shotguns for 2. Among the service handguns, 9 of 10 were those using .357- or .38-special cartridge types. Weapons other than firearms claimed the lives of 66 officers during the 10-year period. Thirty-three officers were intentionally struck with vehicles, 17 were knifed, 7 were beaten with blunt objects, 5 were beaten with personal weapons (hands, fists, feet), 2 were burned, 1 was drowned, and 1 was asphyxiated. BODY ARMOR Of the 735 officers slain with firearms during the 1980s, 157 were wearing protective body armor. Wounds to the head resulted in the deaths of 94 officers wearing protective armor. Thirty-two officers were killed when bullets entered between the panels of the vests or through the arm openings. Thirteen were killed by wounds to the upper torso outside the area of the vests, and 12 by gunshot wounds below the vest area. Six officers were slain when bullets penetrated their protective vests. In addition to the 157 officers shot and killed while wearing vests, 12 victims wearing vests were killed by weapons other than firearms. Eight officers wearing vests were intentionally struck by vehicles, three were stabbed, and one was pushed to his death. PLACES The most populous region, the Southern States, recorded 46 percent of the officer fatalities in the 1980s. The Western States recorded 18 percent of the deaths; the Midwestern States, 17 percent; the Northeastern States, 13 percent; and U.S. territories, 5 percent. A comparison of regional totals for the two periods, 1980-1984 and 1985-1989, showed that the number of officers killed during the latter 5-year span declined in all regions. Among the 50 States, Texas lost more officers to line-of-duty deaths than any other during the decade. Four States recorded no felonious killings during the 10-year period--Delaware, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont. Law enforcement agencies in the Nations largest cities, those with more than 250,000 inhabitants, lost more officers to line-of-duty deaths than departments in municipalities of any other size. These cities collectively recorded 24 percent of all felonious killings in the decade. Following were suburban county law enforcement agencies, registering 16 percent of the slayings. TIMES In the past decade, 62 percent of the incidents resulting in officers deaths occurred from 6:01 p.m. to 6:00 a.m. The figures show the 6:01 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. period to be the hours when the fewest officers were slain, while the hours from 8:01 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. were those during which the highest totals were recorded. Daily figures for the decade show more officers were slain on Thursdays than on any other day of the week. The fewest fatalities were recorded on Sundays. January was the month during the 10-year span that registered the highest total, 91; August showed the lowest total, 53. ASSAILANTS Ninety-eight percent of the 801 slayings of law enforcement officers during the 1980s have been cleared. Of the 1,077 suspects identified in connection with the murders, 1,034 were male and 43 were female. Fifty-six percent of those identified were white, 42 percent were black, and 2 percent were of other races. Sixty-two percent of the assailants were younger than 30 years old. Seven of every 10 suspects identified had previous arrests, and 5 of 10 had a prior conviction. The records also show that 3 of every 10 had a prior arrest for a violent crime. Twenty-four percent of those identified were on parole or probation at the time of the killings. Of the 1,077 persons identified, 879 have been arrested by law enforcement agencies. One hundred forty-three were justifiably killed, 48 committed suicide, 6 are still at large, and 1 was murdered in an unrelated incident. DISPOSITION Based on available disposition information, 70 percent of those arrested and charged in connection with the killings of law enforcement officers during the 1980s were found guilty of murder. Eight percent were found guilty of a lesser offense related to murder, and 4 percent were found guilty of some crime other than murder. Two percent of those charged were committed to psychiatric institutions, and 1 percent died in custody before final disposition. Ten percent of the suspects were acquitted or had the charges against them dismissed. Disposition is pending for 6 percent of the arrestees, the majority of whom were arrested in 1988 and 1989. ACCIDENTAL DEATHS In addition to those feloniously killed during the decade, 713 law enforcement officers lost their lives accidently while performing their official duties. The lowest annual total of the decade was in 1980 with 61 deaths recorded. The last year of the decade, 1989, registered the highest count, 79. Automobile accidents were the leading cause of accidental deaths, accounting for 312 fatalities during the decade. Following were accidents where officers were struck by vehicles at traffic stops, road blocks, while directing traffic or assisting motorists, etc. (160); aircraft accidents (89); accidental shootings (60); motorcycle accidents (49); and other types of accidents, such as falls, drownings, etc. (43). Geographically, the Southern States recorded 312 accidental deaths; the Western States, 168; the Midwestern States, 116; the Northeastern States, 101; Puerto Rico, 10; and Guam, 2. An additional four officers were accidentally killed in the line of duty while in foreign countries. CONCLUSION Many officers paid the ultimate price in the performance of their duties. They accepted the challenges of their profession freely and faced each challenge unselfishly. Hopefully, the statistics compiled on officer deaths can be used to protect those who continue to enforce the laws of this country and protect its freedom.