In a sobering revelation, the FBI’s Uniform Crime Reporting (UCR) Program has unveiled its officers killed and assaulted in the Line of Duty, 2024 Special Report on May 12, 2025.
The report paints a grim picture, documenting the tragic deaths of 64 officers in the line of duty, a number consistent with recent years but overshadowed by a shocking rise in assaults against officers.
The 2024 data underscores a deeply concerning trend: the rate of assaults against law enforcement personnel has surged, reaching an all-time high in the past decade with 85,730 reported incidents—an alarming 13.5 assaults per 100 officers.
This staggering increase points to a disturbing environment for those entrusted with protecting the public.
According to the FBI report, firearms, the deadliest weapon in these fatal encounters, were overwhelmingly reported as the most common tool used in officer killings.
Disturbingly, the offenders responsible for these felonious deaths were predominantly male (95.9%), with 57.9% identified as white, and nearly half had prior criminal records.
The South region remains the deadliest for law enforcement officers, with a staggering 45% spike in officer deaths in 2024—29 lives lost, compared to just 20 the previous year. As these statistics make clear, the Southern U.S. has become a perilous battleground for officers, disproportionately bearing the weight of line-of-duty deaths.
However, there is a glimmer of respite, as the number of officers assaulted and injured by firearms dropped slightly in 2024, following a record high in 2023. Yet, the long-term trend shows that the threat of deadly violence against officers continues to escalate.
Additionally, the FBI’s release included the Law Enforcement Employee Counts data, which provides a comprehensive tally of full-time sworn officers and civilian personnel across all levels of law enforcement.
This critical information is crucial for shaping strategies to address manpower shortages and ensure the protection and efficiency of law enforcement agencies nationwide.
