More than 100 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty last year, according to new FBI data, which includes the death of a Massachusetts State Police trooper who “gave the ultimate sacrifice” when she tried to help a stopped motorist.
The FBI on Monday reported that 118 law enforcement officers were killed in line-of-duty incidents in 2022. Of these, 60 officers died as a result of felonious acts, and 58 officers died in accidents.
The 60 officers who were feloniously killed was an 18% decrease from 2021, while the 58 officers accidentally killed was an increase of two officers from 2021. The majority of accidental deaths (35 officers) were killed in motor vehicle crashes.
Mass State Police Trooper Tamar Bucci, 34, a two-year veteran of the department, was responding to a disabled motorist just before midnight last March 3 when a tanker hit her marked cruiser. The trooper who was assigned to the Medford barracks was killed in the crash.
“It’s significant that nearly two-thirds of all accidental line-of-duty deaths to law enforcement officers last year, and almost one-third of all line-of-duty deaths, were caused by motor vehicle crashes,” a Mass State Police spokesman said on Monday.
“That truly underscores the dangers that state troopers and police officers across our nation face every day on the roads and highways they protect,” the spokesman added. “They patrol and respond in all conditions, under all circumstances, in the midst of hazardous weather or the middle of the night, wherever and whenever their duty takes them, and as the statistics show, they often risk their own safety to do so.”
Next week, Bucci will be added to the National Law Enforcement Memorial in Washington, D.C.
Bucci “gave the ultimate sacrifice” when she tried to help the motorist, the State Police spokesman said.
“We will never forget that sacrifice or the ideals she stood for,” he added.
While the total of 60 felonious deaths was a decrease from the 73 officers who were killed as a result of criminal acts in 2021, the number of felonious deaths has been increasing in the last decade. In 2013, for comparison, the FBI reported that 27 officers died as a result of felonious acts.
Offenders used firearms to kill 49 of the 60 officers last year.
Six officers were killed in unprovoked attacks; 12 officers were ambushed; 12 officers died as a result of investigative activities; four officers encountered an emotionally disturbed person; four officers were involved in pursuits; six officers responded to disturbances; six officers were involved in tactical situations; and two officers were trying to serve a court order.
“Law enforcement is a tough job, and as these statistics show, it’s not getting any easier,” said Joseph R. Bonavolonta, special agent in charge of the FBI Boston division. “When we lose one of our own in law enforcement, it’s not just our loss. Communities lose a protector, and most importantly, their families lose someone who means the whole world to them. It’s a loss that never goes away.
“Being in law enforcement — being a first responder — is not an easy job,” he added. “However, we do it because we want to keep people safe from harm and give law-abiding citizens the chance to live happy, productive lives in neighborhoods that are safe.”