Law enforcement fatalities increase in first half of 2014: report

Washington – Sixty-seven law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty during the first half of 2014 – a 31 percent increase from the same period last year, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released July 22.

For the second consecutive year, traffic incidents were the leading cause of officer deaths in the first half of the year. Traffic incidents caused 26 deaths, a 37 percent increase from the previous year.

Gunfire killed 25 officers in 2014, a 56 percent increase from 2013 and the first increase in three years. The leading circumstance of fatal shootings was investigating suspicious persons or situations, which was associated with six deaths. Ambushes resulted in five fatalities.

Sixteen officers died from other causes, with no increase from 2013. Job-related illnesses, such as heart attacks, led to 13 deaths, an increase of 62 percent from the previous year. Other causes included strangulation, drowning and a fire-related incident.

Of the 67 officers who died, 64 were male. The average age was 42, with 13 years of service.