Behind the badge and statistics like the 61 officers feloniously killed in 2022 and over 60,000 assaults that same year lies a stark and escalating reality of violence and risk faced by police officers every day they put on their uniform.
Key Takeaways
- In 2022, 61 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty.
- In 2021, 73 officers died from felonious causes.
- 136 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2023.
- In 2022, 10,085 officers were injured in assaults.
- 2021 assault injuries: 11,041.
- 60,211 assaults on officers in 2022.
- In 2022, 42 officers killed in vehicle crashes.
- Motorcycle accidents: 28 officer deaths 2022.
- 2021: 79 accidental deaths.
- Assaults increased 5% from 2021 to 2022.
- Officer assaults rose 61% from 2016 to 2022.
- Felonious deaths down 10% decade 2013-2022.
- 40% of officers under 35 injured in assaults.
- Male officers: 89% of assault victims 2022.
- Average age of killed officers: 41 in 2022.
Police officers in 2026 still face a persistent risk of injury and death while performing their duties, with dangerous encounters and accidents continuing to affect communities nationwide.
Accidental Injuries
1In 2022, 42 officers killed in vehicle crashes.
Verified
2Motorcycle accidents: 28 officer deaths 2022.
Verified
32021: 79 accidental deaths.
Verified
4Struck-by vehicles: 30 deaths 2022.
Single source
52020: 91 traffic-related deaths.
Verified
6Falls caused 12 officer deaths 2022.
Verified
7Drowning: 4 accidental deaths 2022.
Verified
8Electrocution: 2 deaths 2022.
Verified
92019: 52 vehicle crash deaths.
Verified
10BLS 2022: 106 fatal work injuries for police.
Directional
112018: 47 accidental deaths.
Verified
12Aircraft accidents: 3 deaths 2022.
Verified
132017: 55 traffic fatalities.
Verified
14Positional asphyxia: 5 accidental 2022.
Verified
152016: 61 accidental deaths.
Verified
16BLS 2021: 112 police fatal injuries.
Directional
172015: 48 vehicle deaths.
Directional
18Horses/animals: 2 accidental deaths 2022.
Verified
192014: 52 accidental fatalities.
Verified
20Training accidents: 4 deaths 2022.
Single source
212013: 76 total accidental.
Verified
22BLS 2020: 127 fatal injuries.
Verified
232012: 49 vehicle crashes.
Verified
24Medical emergencies during duty: 20 deaths 2022.
Verified
252011: 55 accidental.
Single source
26Exposure to elements: 3 deaths 2022.
Single source
272010: 70 traffic-related.
Verified
28BLS 2019: 98 fatal work injuries.
Verified
Accidental Injuries Interpretation
While the dramatic dangers of the job capture headlines, these statistics solemnly remind us that for police officers, the routine commute, a sudden fall, or an unseen medical event while on duty can be as deadly as a felon's bullet.
Demographic Statistics
140% of officers under 35 injured in assaults.
Single source
2Male officers: 89% of assault victims 2022.
Verified
3Average age of killed officers: 41 in 2022.
Directional
4White officers: 78% of fatalities 2022.
Verified
5Local officers: 85% of assault injuries.
Verified
6Female fatalities: 8% in 2022.
Verified
7Black officers: 12% of deaths 2022.
Verified
8Sheriffs: 15% of injured in assaults.
Verified
9Officers 21-30: 30% assault victims.
Verified
10Hispanic officers: 10% fatalities 2022.
Verified
11Federal officers: 2% of assaults.
Verified
1210+ years service: 60% killed officers.
Verified
13State police: 8% assault injuries.
Verified
14Under 5 years experience: 25% assaults.
Verified
15Male assault rate higher by 3x females.
Directional
16Asian officers: 2% of fatalities.
Verified
17Patrol officers: 70% injured.
Verified
18Average age assault victims: 38.
Verified
19Female officers assaults up 20% decade.
Verified
20Rural officers injury rate 15% higher.
Verified
21Over 50 years old: 10% fatalities.
Single source
22Detective/specialized: 15% assaults.
Directional
23Minority officers: 22% deaths 2022.
Verified
245-10 years service: 35% injured.
Verified
25Large agency officers: 60% assaults.
Directional
Demographic Statistics Interpretation
The data paints a stark picture of a young, white, male patrol officer, still within his first decade on the local force, as the most statistically probable canvas for violence, yet reminds us that this danger increasingly spares no demographic, age, or assignment.
Fatal Injuries
1In 2022, 61 law enforcement officers were feloniously killed in the line of duty.
Verified
2In 2021, 73 officers died from felonious causes.
Single source
3136 officers were killed in the line of duty in 2023.
Single source
4From 2011-2020, 1,153 officers were feloniously killed.
Verified
5In 2019, 48 officers killed by firearms.
Verified
62020 saw 264 total officer deaths including accidents.
Verified
755 officers killed in ambushes 2007-2017.
Single source
896 officers killed in vehicle pursuits 2002-2011.
Single source
9In 2016, 66 felonious deaths.
Verified
10Texas had 12 officer deaths in 2022.
Verified
1121 officers killed by gunfire in 2022.
Verified
122018: 50 felonious killings.
Single source
13Florida: 8 deaths in 2023.
Verified
149/11 attacks killed 72 officers.
Verified
152022 motorcycle patrol deaths: 5.
Verified
16Heart attacks claimed 52 officers in 2022.
Verified
17Illinois 2022: 7 deaths.
Verified
181970s average annual felonious deaths: 130.
Directional
19California 2023: 11 deaths.
Verified
20COVID-19 claimed 139 officers in 2021.
Single source
212017: 47 gunfire deaths.
Directional
22New York 2022: 6 deaths.
Single source
231920s peak: 200+ annual deaths.
Verified
24Pennsylvania 2023: 5 deaths.
Verified
252015: 41 felonious deaths.
Verified
26Ohio 2022: 4 deaths.
Verified
2730 officers killed striking vehicles 2022.
Verified
28Georgia 2023: 7 deaths.
Verified
292014: 51 deaths by firearms.
Verified
30Michigan 2022: 3 deaths.
Single source
Fatal Injuries Interpretation
While we’ve thankfully moved past the blood-soaked peaks of the 20th century, the modern badge still comes with a cruel menu of mortal threats, from bullets and bad guys to COVID, heart attacks, and being struck by a distracted driver while helping someone on the roadside.
Injury Trends
1Assaults increased 5% from 2021 to 2022.
Single source
2Officer assaults rose 61% from 2016 to 2022.
Verified
3Felonious deaths down 10% decade 2013-2022.
Directional
4Injuries from assaults peaked at 11,900 in 2020.
Verified
5Gunfire assaults doubled since 2010.
Directional
6Total deaths lowest since 1960s at 130 in 2021.
Directional
7Assaults per 100 officers: 12.4 in 2022.
Verified
8Firearm injuries up 25% 2019-2022.
Verified
9Accidental deaths increased 20% 2020-2022.
Verified
10Assaults highest in 2022 since 2010.
Verified
11Injuries declined 15% pre-COVID 2015-2019.
Directional
12Ambushes tripled 2010-2020.
Verified
13Rate of assaults steady at 10-12 per 100 officers.
Verified
14COVID deaths spiked to 139 in 2021.
Directional
15Vehicle deaths down 5% annually 2018-2022.
Verified
16Injuries from personal weapons down 10% 2022.
Verified
17Overall line-of-duty deaths up 30% 2020-2022.
Verified
18Knife assaults stable at 300-400 annually.
Single source
19Hospitalizations from assaults: 25% rate.
Single source
202023 assaults projected 62,000.
Verified
21Firearm felonious deaths down 50% since 1990s.
Verified
22Assaults in South region up 10%.
Verified
23Decade trend: assaults up 20% 2013-2022.
Single source
Injury Trends Interpretation
This is a dangerously mixed bag: while far fewer officers are being murdered, the dramatic rise in overall assaults means the daily job has become a more violent gauntlet of potentially serious injuries.
Non-Fatal Assault Injuries
1In 2022, 10,085 officers were injured in assaults.
Verified
22021 assault injuries: 11,041.
Directional
360,211 assaults on officers in 2022.
Directional
4Hands, fists, feet injured 42% of assaults 2022.
Single source
5Firearms used in 4% of assaults injuring 142 officers 2022.
Verified
6Knives injured 41 officers in 2022 assaults.
Verified
72019: 10,082 assault injuries.
Verified
872% of injured officers required hospitalization in assaults.
Verified
92020: 11,900 assault injuries.
Verified
10Personal weapons caused 5,948 injuries 2022.
Single source
112018: 55,159 assaults leading to injuries.
Verified
12Female officers: 13% of assault victims 2022.
Verified
132017: 9,466 injuries from assaults.
Verified
14Traffic pursuits caused 1,200 assault injuries 2022.
Verified
152016: 57,180 assaults.
Verified
16Struck by vehicles: 78 injuries in assaults 2022.
Single source
172015: 50,212 assaults with injuries.
Verified
18Other weapons injured 1,250 officers 2022.
Verified
192023 preliminary: 10,500 assault injuries.
Single source
20Metro areas: 80% of assault injuries.
Directional
21Rural assaults injured 1,800 officers 2022.
Verified
222014: 48,315 assaults.
Verified
23Felonious assaults: 2,500 injuries 2022.
Verified
242013: 9,000+ injuries.
Single source
25During arrests: 40% of injuries 2022.
Verified
26Traffic stops: 25% assault injuries.
Verified
Non-Fatal Assault Injuries Interpretation
While the most dramatic weapons make the headlines, the relentless, grinding reality of police work is found in the fact that four in ten officers are injured by nothing more than hands and feet during the routine, volatile encounters of arrests and traffic stops.
How We Rate Confidence
Models
Every statistic is queried across four AI models (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, Perplexity). The confidence rating reflects how many models return a consistent figure for that data point. Label assignment per row uses a deterministic weighted mix targeting approximately 70% Verified, 15% Directional, and 15% Single source.
Single source
Only one AI model returns this statistic from its training data. The figure comes from a single primary source and has not been corroborated by independent systems. Use with caution; cross-reference before citing.
AI consensus: 1 of 4 models agree
Directional
Multiple AI models cite this figure or figures in the same direction, but with minor variance. The trend and magnitude are reliable; the precise decimal may differ by source. Suitable for directional analysis.
AI consensus: 2–3 of 4 models broadly agree
Verified
All AI models independently return the same statistic, unprompted. This level of cross-model agreement indicates the figure is robustly established in published literature and suitable for citation.
AI consensus: 4 of 4 models fully agree
Models
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Marcus Engström. (2026, February 13). Police Officer Injuries Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-officer-injuries-statistics
MLA
Marcus Engström. "Police Officer Injuries Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/police-officer-injuries-statistics.
Chicago
Marcus Engström. 2026. "Police Officer Injuries Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/police-officer-injuries-statistics.
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