The rate of assaults against law enforcement officers in the United States reached its highest level in a decade last year, with 79,000 recorded attacks on police officers, according to national Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) data released Tuesday. Ta.
According to the agency’s law enforcement killing and assault data collection, 60 police officers were killed nationwide last year, one less than the year before, but the most from 2021 to 2023 in the previous three years. A police officer was killed.
The number of state, federal and local public servants assaulted and injured by firearms has also increased, according to the data.
According to FBI data, guns are the most common weapon used in police deaths, with 52% of all police officers killed in the line of duty dying from gunshot wounds.
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Anti-Israel demonstrators shout at police to release arrested activists during a “Free Palestine” rally in Union Square in San Francisco, December 23, 2023. (Teyfan Coskun/Anadolu via Getty Images)
More police officers have been killed in the southern United States than in any other region, but an FBI spokesperson noted Monday that the state is also the largest region. Last year, 20 police officers were killed in southern states, compared to 32 the year before.
An FBI spokesperson told FOX News Digital that while the number of officer killings decreased last year compared to the previous year, assaults have steadily increased and the FBI is working to understand the underlying reasons for this trend. he said.
Officials reported 466 police officers were assaulted with a gun in 2023, the highest level in a decade. For comparison, less than 200 police officers were assaulted with a gun in 2014.
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According to FBI data, 466 police officers were assaulted with a gun last year nationwide. According to this graph shared by the agency, such incidents are on the rise. (FBI handout)
The FBI data release will take place during National Police Week. Last week, Attorney General Merrick Garland and other law enforcement leaders gathered in Washington, D.C., for a candlelight vigil in memory of fallen police officers.
Just last month, four members of a special unit of the U.S. Marshals Service were killed by a fugitive as they tried to serve a warrant on firearms charges. Four more police officers were injured.
Joe Gamaldi, vice president of the National Fraternal Order of Police, was not surprised by the FBI’s findings.
“There’s no question that there’s a war on cops in this country,” Gamaldi told Fox News Digital, comparing FBI data to his union’s data. “Last year, 378 police officers were shot and killed, a record number since we began tracking data in 2018. The number of police shootings increased by 60%.”
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Breakdown of suspects who killed law enforcement officers in 2023, provided by the FBI. (FBI handout)
“The situation hasn’t improved much[this year]because we’re still close to 150 more police officers than at the beginning of 2023. For reference, that’s one police officer shot every 21 hours in the United States,” he said. It is estimated that he was shot dead.” “This is a stain on society and a disgrace to our country.”
“I’m not shocked,” said former FBI special agent Nicole Parker.
“Especially since the summer of 2020, we’ve seen an overall demonization and disdain for law enforcement in many cities, and trust and respect for law enforcement has deteriorated recently,” Parker said.
“Demonizing law enforcement makes it easier for individuals to justify assaulting and killing law enforcement officers. Some members of society believe that law enforcement officers are the enemy; They believe that law enforcement officers are evil tyrants who use their powers to violate their constitutional rights.Therefore, they believe law enforcement officers are their enemies and dare to use force against them. wield it. ”
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A horse-drawn carriage carries the flag-draped casket of fallen Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer into First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina on May 3, 2024. (Fox News Digital Image Direct)
Parker said the rise in police deaths and gun violence is due to increased “legal and social scrutiny” that prevents officers from protecting themselves “even when completely justified.” I thought it was something.
“No one should be shocked to see an increase in police assaults and deaths in recent years,” Parker said. “They can’t protect themselves because they don’t feel like they can… Either they get shot or they have to defend themselves and shoot someone else. [but] Legal issues have buried cops time and time again, and the trauma is real. ”
Gamaldi made a similar point, saying, “Politicians, media, fraudsters, and activists have realized that they can make money and gain influence by demonizing police officers.” [have] For the better part of a decade, police officers in this country have been disrespected, delegitimized, and treated like scum. ”
Police officers console each other at the memorial for fallen Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Officer Joshua Eyer at First Baptist Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, on May 3, 2024. (Fox News Digital Image Direct)
He also cited America’s “revolving door criminal justice system,” noting that data from the Fraternal Order of Police shows that 85% of criminals who kill police officers have a criminal record and 71% have a prior conviction. He said he was a criminal.
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“House Republicans need to pass the Protect and Serve Act, which makes intentionally assaulting a police officer a federal crime. “By sending police officers to federal prison, we can ensure they are held accountable when they attack,” Gamaldi said.
“Last year there were 115 ambush attacks and 136 police officers were shot and killed, so police must prioritize ambush training for officers.”
“Finally,” Gamaldi told Fox News Digital, “we need to stop treating police officers like shit in general in this country.”
