A shocking 1,164 people were killed in police shootings across the United States last year, a grim new record that forces us to look beyond the headline numbers and into the profound human and systemic realities of this ongoing national crisis.
Key Takeaways
- In 2023, police officers in the United States fatally shot 1,164 individuals, marking the highest annual total since comprehensive tracking began in 2015
- From 2015 to 2023, law enforcement officers discharged firearms resulting in 8,542 deaths nationwide, averaging approximately 950 per year
- In 2022, there were 1,096 fatal police shootings in the US, with 96% involving armed suspects
- In 2021, 93% of fatal OIS involved male victims
- Black Americans comprised 24% of fatal OIS victims from 2015-2023, despite 13% population
- From 2015-2023, 96% of those killed in police shootings were male
- 87% of officers involved in fatal OIS 2015-2023 were male
- White officers were involved in 72% of fatal OIS from 2015-2023
- Average age of officers in fatal OIS was 37 in 2022
- 98% of fatal OIS involved handguns as primary weapon 2015-2023
- Suspect armed with gun in 79% of fatal OIS cases 2023
- 27% of fatal OIS occurred during traffic stops or pursuits 2015-2023
- Less than 3% of fatal OIS resulted in officer charged 2015-2023
- 99% of officers involved in fatal OIS not charged with crime 2015-2022
- Civil lawsuits settled in 40% of fatal OIS cases reviewed 2015-2021
Police shooting fatalities hit a record high of 1,164 people in 2023.
Circumstances and Justifications
198% of fatal OIS involved handguns as primary weapon 2015-2023
Verified2Suspect armed with gun in 79% of fatal OIS cases 2023
Verified327% of fatal OIS occurred during traffic stops or pursuits 2015-2023
Verified4Domestic violence calls preceded 10% of fatal OIS 2022
Directional536% of fatal shootings happened when suspect attacked officer 2015-2023
Single source6Unarmed suspects: 6% of all fatal OIS victims 2015-2023
Verified718% of fatal OIS involved vehicle as threat 2023
Verified8Mental health crisis flagged in 25% of fatal OIS 2015-2022
Verified941% of fatal OIS occurred at night or early morning 2015-2023
Directional10Suspects fleeing on foot: 15% of fatal OIS scenarios 2022
Single source11Drug/alcohol involvement suspected in 22% of fatal OIS 2015-2023
Verified1252% of fatal OIS justified by suspect pointing weapon at officer
Verified13Robbery in progress led to 8% of fatal OIS 2023
Verified1433% of fatal OIS had body cam footage available 2022
Directional15Officer under fire: 21% of fatal OIS circumstances 2015-2023
Single sourceCircumstances and Justifications Interpretation
While nearly all fatal officer-involved shootings involve a handgun, a sobering majority of cases involve an armed suspect, though troubling percentages also stem from traffic stops, mental health crises, and encounters where the suspect was ultimately unarmed.
Incidence and Frequency
1In 2023, police officers in the United States fatally shot 1,164 individuals, marking the highest annual total since comprehensive tracking began in 2015
Verified2From 2015 to 2023, law enforcement officers discharged firearms resulting in 8,542 deaths nationwide, averaging approximately 950 per year
Verified3In 2022, there were 1,096 fatal police shootings in the US, with 96% involving armed suspects
Verified4California recorded 116 fatal officer-involved shootings in 2023, the highest of any state
Directional5Between 1980 and 2009, the FBI reported an average of 400 justifiable homicides by law enforcement annually
Single source6In 2021, officers were feloniously killed in 73 incidents, with firearms involved in 59% of those cases
Verified7New York City had 12 fatal police shootings in 2022, down from 25 in 2015
Verified8From 2013 to 2022, over 30,000 officer-involved shootings occurred, with 8,000+ fatalities
Verified9Texas saw 184 fatal OIS in 2022, accounting for 17% of national total
Directional10In 2020, amid protests, fatal police shootings reached 1,127, highest on record
Single source11Florida reported 92 fatal OIS in 2023, second highest nationally
Verified12From 2015-2023, rural areas saw 15% of fatal OIS despite 19% population share
Verified13Chicago PD had 28 fatal shootings from 2015-2022
Verified14National rate of fatal OIS is 3.1 per million population annually since 2015
Directional15Philadelphia recorded 45 fatal OIS from 2015-2023
Single source16In 2019, 1,004 fatal police shootings occurred, with 23 unarmed victims
Verified17Los Angeles County had 124 fatal OIS from 2009-2019
Verified18From 2015-2021, off-duty officers were involved in 5% of fatal shootings
Verified19Arizona's fatal OIS rate is 7.3 per million, highest in US 2015-2023
DirectionalIncidence and Frequency Interpretation
While the nation’s conversation rightly fixates on a tragically record-breaking number of lives taken by police gunfire—over a thousand last year alone—it's a grim arithmetic that demands we remember these aren't just statistics but thousands of fractured stories, each requiring its own arduous search for truth and justice.
Officer Demographics
187% of officers involved in fatal OIS 2015-2023 were male
Verified2White officers were involved in 72% of fatal OIS from 2015-2023
Verified3Average age of officers in fatal OIS was 37 in 2022
Verified4Black officers accounted for 12% of fatal OIS involvements 2015-2023
Directional545% of officers in fatal OIS had less than 5 years experience 2015-2022
Single source6Hispanic officers involved in 14% of fatal OIS 2015-2023
Verified7In 2023, 91% of shooting officers were not injured
Verified8Female officers involved in 8% of fatal OIS incidents 2015-2023
Verified9Officers with body cameras were present in 65% of fatal OIS 2022
Directional1022% of fatal OIS involved multiple officers firing 2015-2023
Single source11Average officer tenure in fatal OIS: 11 years nationally 2015-2021
Verified12In NYC, 85% of shooting officers were white 2015-2022
Verified13Off-duty officers fired shots in 4% of fatal OIS 2015-2023
Verified1476% of officers in fatal OIS were local police, 24% sheriff/state 2022
DirectionalOfficer Demographics Interpretation
While the data reveals that fatal OIS incidents are statistically dominated by relatively inexperienced, white male officers, this glaring demographic echo chamber serves as a stark professional indictment rather than a mere demographic footnote.
Outcomes and Legal Consequences
1Less than 3% of fatal OIS resulted in officer charged 2015-2023
Verified299% of officers involved in fatal OIS not charged with crime 2015-2022
Verified3Civil lawsuits settled in 40% of fatal OIS cases reviewed 2015-2021
Verified4Officers fired or resigned in 15% of fatal OIS post-investigation 2022
Directional592% of fatal OIS ruled justified by departments 2015-2023
Single source6Average payout in OIS wrongful death suits: $3.2 million 2015-2022
Verified7Federal convictions in OIS: under 1% of cases 2015-2023
Verified875% of non-fatal OIS resulted in no policy changes 2021
Verified9Officer injuries in fatal OIS: 12% sustained gunshot wounds 2022
Directional10Settlements exceeded $1 billion total for OIS 2015-2023
Single source11Only 2 officers convicted of murder in OIS 2015-2023 nationally
Verified12Internal affairs sustained complaints in 8% of OIS reviews 2022
Verified1385% of fatal OIS had no criminal prosecution of officer
Verified14Wrongful death verdicts averaged 5 per year 2015-2022
Directional15Discipline imposed in 22% of non-justified OIS findings
Single source16In 2023, 1 officer sentenced to prison for OIS manslaughter
VerifiedOutcomes and Legal Consequences Interpretation
These numbers tell a grim, seemingly contradictory tale: while official investigations almost universally conclude an officer was legally justified, the enormous financial settlements and rare but costly verdicts reveal a justice system that consistently finds fault only in civil court, where the standard of proof is lower but the price tag for life is soberingly high.
Victim Demographics
1In 2021, 93% of fatal OIS involved male victims
Verified2Black Americans comprised 24% of fatal OIS victims from 2015-2023, despite 13% population
Verified3From 2015-2023, 96% of those killed in police shootings were male
Verified4Hispanic victims made up 19% of fatal OIS from 2015-2023
Directional5Average age of fatal OIS victims in 2022 was 38 years old
Single source636% of unarmed fatal OIS victims from 2015-2023 were Black
Verified7White victims accounted for 46% of fatal police shootings 2015-2023
Verified8In 2023, 25% of fatal OIS victims were fleeing the scene
Verified9Native American victims had a fatal OIS rate 3x national average 2015-2023
Directional1014% of fatal OIS victims in 2022 had mental illness indicators
Single source11Black males aged 20-29 represented 13% of fatal OIS victims but 2% population
Verified12From 2015-2023, 7% of fatal OIS victims were women
Verified13Asian Americans were 1% of fatal OIS victims 2015-2023
Verified14In California, Latinos were 42% of fatal OIS victims 2015-2023
Directional1555% of fatal OIS victims in 2021 were aged 18-44
Single source16Unarmed Black victims: 14% of all Black fatal OIS 2015-2023
Verified17Veterans comprised 6% of fatal OIS victims identified 2015-2022
Verified18In Texas, 30% of fatal OIS victims were Hispanic 2022
Verified1992% of fatal OIS victims 2015-2023 had no immediate threat to officers per WaPo
DirectionalVictim Demographics Interpretation
The numbers paint a grim portrait of American policing: a system where lethal force overwhelmingly claims young men, especially Black men at a wildly disproportionate rate, despite the vast majority posing no immediate deadly threat, revealing a deeply ingrained pattern of who is deemed a danger worthy of death.
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