2019 Mid-Year Preliminary

Law Enforcement Officers

Fatalities Report
60 Law Enforcement Officer
Fatalities
According to preliminary data compiled by the
National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial
Fund, as of June 30, 2019, 60 federal, state,
and local law enforcement officers have
died in the line of duty as of June 30 this
year, a 35 percent decrease from the 92
officers killed during the same period last
year. A significant reason for the decrease is
because of the increase of 9/11-related deaths
and job-related illnesses in 2018.
Firearms-related fatalities were the leading
cause of officer deaths, with 27 officers
killed thus far in 2019. This represents a 13
percent decrease over the 31 officers killed
in firearms-related incidents during the same
period last year. The leading circumstances
of firearms-related fatalities were officers
responding to a robbery call, involved in a
traffic/vehicular pursuit, or were killed in an
ambush-style attack.
2 | 2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report
Twenty-one officers have been killed in
traffic-related fatalities this year, a 25 percent
decrease, compared to 28 deaths during the
same period last year. Struck-by incidents,
where an officer was outside of their patrol
vehicle, were the leading circumstance of the
traffic-related fatalities with 11 such fatalities
during the first half of 2019—an increase of 57
percent over the same period last year.
Twelve officers died of other causes during
the reporting period in 2019, eight of which
were job-related illnesses. Two officers died as
a result of illnesses contracted during the 9/11
terrorist attack rescue and recovery efforts,
one officer was crushed to death, and one
officer drowned.
35%
Law Enforcement
Line-of-Duty
Deaths Down
35 Percent in
First Half of 2019
 Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities 1969-2019
Through Mid-Year

150 Total Firearm-related Traffic-related Other

120

90

60

30

0
1969
1970
1971
1972
1973
1974
1975
1976
1977
1978
1979
1980
1981
1982
1983
1984
1985
1986
1987
1988
1989
1990
1991
1992
1993
1994
1995
1996
1997
1998
1999
2000
2001
2002
2003
2004
2005
2006
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
2018
2019
60
Total Fatalities

27 21 12
Firearm-related Traffic-related Other

Note: Mid-Year is from January 1 through June 30 of each year.

The data and statistics contained in this report are preliminary and do not represent a final or complete list of individual officers who
will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 2020.

2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report | 3

27 Firearms-related
Fatalities
Firearms-related fatalities were the leading person or circumstances call; drug-related
cause of law enforcement deaths during the matters and/or drug bust; accidentally shot
first half of the year. Twenty-seven officers as a homeowner thought the officer was an
were shot and killed during the first six intruder; and conducting a welfare check on a
months of 2019 compared to 31 during civilian.
the same period in 2018. Of the 27 firearms
Handguns were the leading type of firearm
fatalities, four officers were killed responding
used in fatal shootings of law enforcement
to a robbery call, four were shot during a
officers in the first half 2019. Of the 27 officer
traffic pursuit, and four were shot in an
fatalities, 11 officers were shot and killed with
ambush-style attack. Three officers were killed
a handgun and five officers were killed with a
as they responded to a domestic disturbance
rifle. The type of firearm used in the remaining
or domestic-related incident, and three
11 fatalities is still unknown for the first half of
officers were shot and killed while attempting
2019.
to arrest a suspect.
Of the 27 firearms-related fatalities in the first
Two fatalities were the result of officers
half of 2019, six occurred in February, the
serving felony arrest warrants and two were
most of any other month. Five officers were
involved in tactical situations. An officer
shot in each of the months of January, May,
was shot and killed while involved in each
and June. Four officers were shot in the month
of the following incidents: investigating a
of March, and two in April.
disturbance call; responding to a suspicious

Police Officer Natalie Becky Corona

California Police Department

End of Watch: January 10, 2019

Police Officer Corona was shot and killed in an ambush style attack
after responding to a multiple car crash. While investigating the
car crash, a suspect unrelated to the crash, opened fire on Officer
Corona without warning. The suspect then continued shooting at fire
personnel who were on the scene for the traffic crash. The suspect
fled the scene and was later found deceased inside his home with a
self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officer Corona was transported to the
hospital where she was pronounced deceased.

4 | 2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report

 Firearms-Related Fatalities
Through Mid-Year

BY CIRCUMSTANCE (2019) BY FIREARM TYPE (2019)

Robbery 4 Handgun 11
Ambush 4 Unknown 11
Traffic Pursuit 4 Rifle 5
Attempting arrest
(excludes burglary and robbery arrest) 3

Domestic Disturbance 3

Tactical 2

Serving Felony Arrest Warrant 2 BY MONTH (2019)

Investigating suspicious persons
or circumstances
1
Disturbance Call 1 January 5 April 2

Drug Related Matters 1 5

February 6 May
Other-Welfare Check on a Civilian 1
March 4 June 5
Accidentally Shot-Mistaken for a Burglar 1

BY DECADE (AVERAGE)

1960s 32 1970s 63 1980s 44 1990s 35 2000s 29 2010s 27

Note: Mid-Year is from January 1 through June 30

2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report | 5

21 Traffic-related
Fatalities
Twenty-one officers were killed in traffic-
related incidents during the first half of
2019, compared to 28 over the same period
last year, a 25 percent decrease. Of the 21
traffic-related incidents, five were automobile
crashes involving a collision with another
vehicle or fixed object, four were involved in a
single-vehicle crash, 11 were struck while on
the side of the road, and one was involved in a
motorcycle crash.
Of the nine automobile crashes in the first half
of this year, four were single-vehicle crashes,
compared to 10 during the same time in 2018,
representing a 60 percent decrease.
Compared to the average number of traffic-
related fatalities per decade, 2019 is lower
than the past 10-year average (2000-2009).
In the prior decade, 33 officers were killed
on average in the first half of a given year.
Since the 1960s, traffic-related fatalities have
increased, even as overall law enforcement
fatalities have been decreasing.
Since the 1960s, traffic-related
fatalities have increased, even
as overall law enforcement
fatalities have been decreasing.

Traffic-Related Fatalities
Through Mid-Year

BY CIRCUMSTANCE BY DECADE (AVERAGE)

Automobile crash 1960s 25 1990s 29

2018 21
2019 9 1970s 27 2000s 33

Struck outside vehicle 1980s 30 2010s 27

2018 7
2019 11

Motorcyle crash
2019 1

Note: Mid-Year is from January 1 through June 30

6 | 2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report

Officers Fallen: Traffic-related
Trooper Corporal
Matthew Gatti Shane Michael
Tennessee (TN) Totty
Highway Patrol Baton Rouge (LA)
Police Department
End of Watch:
May 6, 2019 End of Watch:
February 2, 2019
Trooper Gatti was killed
in an automobile crash Corporal Totty was
as he was responding killed in a motorcycle
to a call involving a car crash during a funeral
fire. Trooper Gatti was procession. Corporal
involved in a crash with Totty’s department-issued
two tractor-trailers when motorcycle collided with
he lost control of his another vehicle. Corporal
patrol vehicle. Totty was transported to
a local hospital where he
succumbed to his injuries.
2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report | 7
Trooper
Brooke Jones-
Story
Illinois (IL) State Police
End of Watch:
March 28, 2019
Trooper Jones-Story was
struck and killed by
a tractor-trailer while
outside of her patrol
vehicle. Trooper Jones-
Story was inspecting a
commercial motor vehicle
when she was struck.
12 Other Causes
of Fatalities
The first half of 2019 saw a decrease in the
number of officers who died from other
causes compared to the first half of 2018.
Twelve officers died from other causes
compared to 33 officers who died as a result
of other causes during the first half of 2018, a
64 percent decrease.
In the first half of this year, eight of the officers
died due to a cardiac event. Two officers died
as a result of illnesses contracted during the
9/11 rescue and recovery operations, one
officer was crushed to death and one officer
drowned.

Other Causes of Fatalities

Through Mid-Year

BY CIRCUMSTANCE

Physical related incident (i.e. heart attack, TB, heat stroke)

2018 30
2019 10

Drowned
2018 2
2019 1
BY DECADE (AVERAGE)

Beaten 1960s 14 1990s 19

2018 1
1970s 23 2000s 17
Falling object
2019 1 1980s 19 2010s 24

Note: Mid-Year is from January 1 through June 30

8 | 2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report

Officers Fallen: Other Causes

Police Officer Conservation Detective

Steven Brown Officer Luis Alvarez
Port St. Lucie (FL) Eugene Wynn, Jr. New York City (NY)
Police Department Minnesota Department Police Department
of Natural Resources
End of Watch: End of Watch:
June 12, 2019 End of Watch: June 30, 2019
April 19, 2019
Police Officer Brown Detective Alvarez
suffered a fatal heart Conservation Officer succumbed to a cancer-
attack after completing Wynn drowned after related illness stemming
a third day of training at he and other deputies from his rescue and
the Port St. Lucie Police responded to a report recovery efforts at
Athletic League’s Police of a possible body in the Ground Zero following
Camp. Officer Brown lake. Officer Wynn and the September 11, 2001
was one of the leaders another deputy were terrorist attack on the
at the camp as part of thrown from the boat. World Trade Center in
his duties as a School Deputies were able to New York.
Resource Officer. The rescue the other deputy;
camp involved three days however, Officer Wynn
of outdoor activities that slipped below the
included an obstacle surface and drowned.
course. Officer Brown
collapsed after returning
home from his shift.

2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report | 9

 Demographics
of Fatalities
In the first half of 2019, six officers from 2019. Six states lost two officers and 11 states
the state of Texas and five officers from the lost one officer for the first half of 2019.
state of Illinois were killed in the line of duty.
Twenty-five states and the District of
The state of Alabama suffered four officer
Columbia did not lose an officer in the first
fatalities. Three officers died in the states
half of this year. Fifty-five fallen officers were
of California, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana,
male and five were female. Their average age
and Tennessee. Three federal officers, two
was 42 years, with 14 years of service. On
territorial and two tribal officers were also
average, each officer left behind two children.
killed in the line of duty in the first half of

Fatalities by State
Through Mid-Year 2019
ME

WI VT NH

WA ID MT ND MN IL MI NY MA

OR NV WY SD IA IN OH PA NJ CT RI

CA UT CO NE MO KY WV VA MD DE

AZ NM KS AR TN NC SC

OK LA MS AL GA DC

HI AK TX FL

25 States & DC
Number of Fatalities: 6 5 4 3 2 1 0 had zero fatalities

10 | 2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report

 Fatalities by Demographic
Through Mid-Year 2019

GENDER AGE

Male 55 Youngest 19

Female 5 Average 42

Oldest 81

TOUR OF DUTY LENGTH NUMBER OF CHILDREN

Shortest 1 month Least 0

Average 14 years Average 2

Longest 52 years Most 5

JURISDICTION

City 24

Sheriff 13

State/Tpr/Hwy Ptrl 13

Municipal/County PD 3

Federal 3

Territorial 2

Tribal 2

Note: Mid-Year is from January 1 through June 30

2019 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report | 11

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