Officers Accidentally Killed

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This page provides information regarding accidental line-of-duty deaths of duly sworn
city, university and college, county, state, tribal, and federal law enforcement officers
who met the same criteria as officers feloniously killed.

Overview

• In 2014, 45 law enforcement officers died as the result of accidents that occurred in the line of duty.

• Accidental line-of-duty deaths of law enforcement officers occurred in 22 states and in Puerto Rico.

• Of the officers accidentally killed, 20 were employed by city police departments, 17 were employed by county agencies, 5 were employed by state agencies, and 2 were employed by federal agencies. One officer from Puerto Rico was accidentally killed.

• By region, 19 officers who were accidentally killed were employed by agencies in the South, 13 by agencies in the West, 8 by agencies in the Northeast, 4 by agencies in the Midwest, and 1 in Puerto Rico.

More information about these topics is provided in Tables 52, 53, 65, 66, and 70.

Victim profile

• The average age of the officers who were accidentally killed in 2014 was 39 years.

• The average length of law enforcement service for the officers accidentally killed in the line of duty was 10 years.

• Of the 45 officers who were accidentally killed, 43 were white, and 2 were Asian/Pacific Islander.

• 42 of the officers who died in 2014 due to accidental line-of-duty incidents were male; 3 were female.

More information about this topic is provided in Tables 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, and 64.

Circumstances

Of the officers who were accidentally killed in the line of duty in 2014:

• 28 died as a result of automobile accidents.

• 6 were struck by vehicles. Five officers were directing traffic, assisting motorists, etc., and one was executing a traffic stop, roadblock, etc.

• 6 officers died in motorcycle accidents.

• 2 were accidentally shot. One died as a result of crossfire, mistaken for subject, or other firearm mishap, and one incident occurred during a training session.

• 1 officer drowned.

• 2 officers died in other types of accidents.

More information about this topic is provided in Tables 67, 68, 69, and 70.

Assignments

• 27 of the on-duty officers accidentally killed in 2014 were alone at the time of the incidents.

• 17 on-duty officers had assistance at the time of their fatal accidents.

• 1 officer was off duty, but acting in an official capacity, at the time of the fatal accident.

More information about this topic is included in Tables 65, 66, 68, and 69.

Months, days, and times of incidents

• More officers (6 in each month) died from accidental line-of-duty incidents that occurred in January, May, October, and December than in any other month in 2014.

• More officers were fatally injured in accidents on Sundays and Tuesdays in 2014 with 9 officers accidentally killed on each day.

• 25 officers were killed as a result of accidents occurring between 12:01 a.m. and noon.

• 19 officers were fatally injured in accidents that occurred between 12:01 p.m. and midnight.

More information about this topic is provided in Tables 54, 55, 56, and 57.