72 law enforcement officers were slain last year

The FBI reports that 72 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year. An additional 53 officers died in accidents and 54,774 officers were assaulted in the line of duty.


A member of Oakland Police Honor Guard stands at his post near the four caskets of Oakland Police Officers Sgt. Mark Dunakin, 40; John Hege, 41; Sgt. Ervin Romans, 43; and Sgt. Daniel Sakai, 35, during the funeral at Oracle Arena in Oakland, Calif. The four officers were shot in the line of duty.(Photo: Tony Avelar AP)

12:11PM EST November 19. 2012 - WASHINGTON (AP) — The FBI says that 72 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year, up from 56 the year before.

An additional 53 officers died in accidents, and 54,774 officers were assaulted in the line of duty.

The average age of officers killed in the line of duty was 38.

Of the 72 slayings, 23 were in arrest situations, 15 were ambushed, 11 were in traffic pursuits or stops, and nine were in tactical situations.

The report says 29 deaths happened in the South, 21 in the Midwest, 10 in the West, and 10 in the Northeast. The other two were in Puerto Rico.

Sixty-nine of the slain officers were males.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/19/law-enforcement-death-killed/1714491/