Record Number Of Law Enforcement Officers Killed In 2021 Most From Covid: Report
A record number of law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in 2021, according to a report from the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund Wednesday, with most losing their lives to COVID-19.
In 2021, 458 law enforcement officers died — up 55% from 2020, according to the report.
In 2020, 295 federal, state, local and tribal officers died in the line of duty. The closest number to 2021’s was recorded was in 1930, when there were 312 law enforcement deaths.
The vast majority of deaths — 301 — were due to COVID-19, according to the report, the second year in a row COVID-19 was the leading cause of line-of-duty deaths. The vaccination status of the 301 officers who died is not known.
Customs and Border Patrol Agent David Ramirez was among those who died due to complications of COVID-19. Ramirez, a father of three, was assigned to the Sector Intelligence Unit/Joint California Forensics Center in San Diego, according to Customs and Border Protection.
Officers like Lubbock County, Texas, Sheriff’s Office Sgt. Joshua Bartlett were among the 62 officers killed by guns in 2021.
Traffic-related incident killings, such as during stops, saw an increase of 38% from 2020.
Time Is Crucial In The Progression Of Investigations As Evidence Can Be Tampered With Or Destroyed If Not Quickly Secured Says Staff Sergeant Martin Schiavetta Of The Calgary Police Service Homicide Unit It Was Because Of Numerous Tips From The Public That We Were Able To Locate And Seize The Suspect Vehicle Within Hours And Examine It For Key Evidence We Are Grateful For The Collaboration Between The Service Our Media Partners And The Community In Working Together To Find Answers In This Tragedy
As the investigation is still in its early stages, no new information will be released at this time.
Anyone with information is asked to call Homicide Tip Line at 403-428-8877, or the CPS non-emergency line at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers through any of the following methods:
TALK: 1-800-222-8477
BACKGROUND
Medical Response And Death
At 8:27 pm, a Hennepin County ambulance arrived.:5:56:7:11 Shortly thereafter, a young relative of the owner of Cup Foods attempted to intervene, but was pushed back by Thao.:6:03Emergency medical technicians checked Floyds pulse.:7:17 Chauvin kept his knee on Floyds neck for almost a minute after the ambulance arrived, despite Floyd being silent and motionless.:7:21
Around 8:29, Floyd was lifted by paramedics onto a stretcher,then loaded into an ambulance.:7:43 Lane boarded the ambulance and checked Floyds pulse at his neck, and a medic instructed him to perform cardiopulmonary resuscitation. A medical device was placed on Floyds chest to provide mechanical chest compressions, and the ambulance departed for Hennepin County Medical Center.:6:35:7:43
En route, the ambulance requested assistance from the Minneapolis Fire Department.:6:35:7:43 At 8:32, firefighters arrived at Cup Foods :6:56:7:56 according to their report, the police officers gave no clear information regarding Floyds condition or whereabouts, which delayed their ability to find the ambulance.:7:56 Meanwhile, the ambulance reported that Floyd was entering cardiac arrest and again requested assistance, asking firefighters to meet them at the corner of 36th Street and Park Avenue. Five minutes later, the fire department reached the ambulance :8:10 two fire department medics who boarded the ambulance found Floyd unresponsive and pulseless.:6:56
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Us Capitol Riot Suspect Wanted By Fbi Granted Asylum In Belarus
A veteran Chicago cop who serves as spokeswoman for the National Police Association has reportedly blasted the left for suggesting that the Capitol riot was the reason four officers committed suicide after responding to the insurrection.
Sgt. Betsy Brantner Smith told the Daily Mail that we will never know why Kyle DeFreytag, Gunther Hashida, Jeffrey Smith and Howard Liebengood took their own lives after the Jan. 6 riot.
The 29-year veteran told the news outlet that she and her colleagues have become disgusted as they believe that DC Democrats and the media have politicized the deaths.
We dont know why these officers committed suicide. Police officers see horrible things every day from the minute they get out of the police academy. We dont know why any police officer kills themselves unless they leave a detailed accounting of why they killed themselves and most do not, Brantner Smith told the outlet.To my knowledge, none of officers left any kind of detailed accounting of why. Thats why its important that we dont assume, and we dont politicize, the spokeswoman for the lobbying group and charity continued.We will never know. Thats what law enforcement around the country is finding so distasteful about this that one riot in one area, and suddenly police suicide is a big deal, the officer said.No one is talking about all the other cops who are killing themselves. The politicization of this topic is abhorrent, she added.
How Many Police Officers Killed In 2022 So Far
How Many Police Officers Killed In 2022 So Far. 458 police were killed in the line of duty last year, 301 of them due to covid and 67 were murdered. Surging crime rate spells trouble for democrats in 2022 elections in total, 58 policemen were killed in 2019, 59 were pronounced dead in circumstances considered homicides in 2018, 54 were killed.
Sadly, the trend of police assassinations does not seem to be abating in 2022. 55 more than unarmed black men killed in 2021 already.their whopping total of 4 is just so problematic. Ramon gutierrez was hit and killed by a drunk driver.
Source: www.theurbanist.org
Galloway was pronounced dead at the scene. Of that number, 19 officers have been killed between jan.
Source: wechoiceblogger.com
A police officer has been shot nearly every day in 2022 as a growing wave of shootings and other attacks across the country have claimed the lives of four officers in less than a month. According to the database that the washington post has been using since 2015, the number of people that cops have killed so far in 2021 is 179.
The fbi is reporting 59 law enforcement officers have been killed while protecting and serving in the u.s. Even more disturbing, 14 percent of those who call themselves very liberal said about 10,000 unarmed black men were killed by cops in 2019 while 8 percent said more than 10,000.
Source: www.mic.com
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At Least 25 Americans Were Killed During Protests And Political Unrest In 2020
Findings from Armed Conflict Location and Event Data raise concerns about continued violence during and after election day
At least 11 Americans have been killed while participating in political demonstrations this year and another 14 have died in other incidents linked to political unrest, according to new data from a non-profit monitoring political unrest in the United States.
Nine of the people killed during protests were demonstrators taking part in Black Lives Matter protests. Two were conservatives killed after pro-Trump patriot rallies. All but one were killed by fellow citizens.
The new data highlights the danger of the presence of guns during politically charged protests, and raises concerns about continued violence during and after election day, when many Americans anticipate delays, confusion and protests before the winner of the presidential race is confirmed.
Injuries Caused By Police Projectiles
During the week of May 30, 2020, 12 people, including protesters, journalists and bystanders, were partially blinded after being struck with police projectiles. By June 21, at least 20 people had suffered serious eye injuries. The American Academy of Ophthalmology has called on police departments to stop using rubber bullets for crowd control, writing in a statement that Americans have the right to speak and congregate publicly and should be able to exercise that right without the fear of blindness.
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The Editorial Board: High Rates Of Police Suicide Show The Need For Better Training And A Change In Culture
- News Editorial Board
Stresses on police are leading to higher suicide rates among officers. It’s an alarm that requires new ways of training and methods of policing.
Imagine this is your job:
Civilized society depends on your work, in which you are liable at any time to confront horrors whose influence doesnt come off when your uniform does.
No one really wants to see you, except when they are in some kind of trouble. Even then, your presence, however welcome, is a byproduct of trauma.
The nature of your work requires you to be a commanding figure, but the trait can also instigate conflict.
Some of your colleagues, unable or unwilling to regulate their conduct, misuse their authority, ratcheting up the stresses that already permeate your profession.
Your work culture makes it difficult to reach for help when the pressure becomes too much to bear.
There is more to policing than that, of course. Its honorable and necessary work. Its members serve the public good. But its a pressure cooker.
The issue has become critical in Erie County, where at least four law enforcement officers died by suspected suicide since late 2020. And thats in a state that has some of the nations lowest rates of suicide.
, 2020 had started out as a better year than 2019, when police suicide rates had soared. Numbers were declining early last year, as the pandemic took hold but before a Minneapolis police officer murdered George Floyd. That was a tripwire.
71 died from Covid-19.
Leos Killed In The Line Of Duty In 2020
2020 was the deadliest year for law enforcement officers since 1974
A total of 264 officers died in the line of duty in 2020, according to new data released Monday by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund . Thats a 96% increase over 2019 which saw 135 duty deaths and makes 2020 the deadliest year for law enforcement since 1974.
According to the press release, the COVID-19 pandemic is responsible for the spike. The category for other causes of death, which includes COVID-19, was up 300% over 2019.
Firearms-related fatalities claimed the lives of 48 officers in 2020, a 6% decrease compared to the 51 officers killed in firearms-related incidents in 2019. Of the 48 officer deaths, 11 were investigating a suspicious person or activity, seven were killed responding to domestic disturbance calls, six deaths each were attempting an arrest and ambush attacks on officers, three were in tactical situations, and three others were responding to various disturbance calls. Four officers died responding to a robbery or burglary in-progress call while three were feloniously killed during traffic stops. Two officers were killed during the year serving warrants, two others were killed by inadvertent gunfire and one officer was killed by firearms responding to a mental health call.
See below for the full 2020 law enforcement fatalities report.
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Leonard Charles Parker Jr
Gulfport, Mississippi
According to CBS affiliate WKRG, 53-year-old Leonard Parker Jr. of Covington, Georgia, was killed by a Gulfport police officer.
Fox and CW affiliate WXXV reported that the officer was responding to calls of a disturbance in the area. As an officer was approaching the area, Parker was allegedly driving away and drove toward the officer. The officer then shot Parker, who was pronounced dead at the scene.
‘what Are We Supposed To Do’: Rioter Speaks To Cnn Reporter
Two more DC police officers who responded to the US Capitol insurrection have died by suicide, authorities announced on Monday, bringing the total to four officers who have taken their own lives in the aftermath of the January 6 riot.
This story has been updated with additional information Monday.
Editor’s Note: If you or a loved one have contemplated suicide, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or text TALK to 741741. The International Association for Suicide Prevention and Befrienders Worldwide also provide contact information for crisis centers around the world.
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Four Officers Who Responded To Capitol Riot Have Died By Suicide
Two more Washington, D.C., police officers who responded to the have died by suicide, police said Monday.
Since the attack by a pro-Trump mob, four officers who defended the site that day have died by suicide.
Officer Gunther Hashida was found dead at his home Thursday, the Metropolitan Police Department said Monday, and Officer Kyle deFreytag was found dead July 10.
Hashida, a veteran of the force since 2003, was assigned to the police Emergency Response Team.
“We are grieving as a Department as our thoughts and prayers are with Officer Hashidas family and friends,” police said in a statement earlier Monday.
DeFreytag , who was assigned to the Fifth District, had been with the police department since November 2016, a police spokesperson said Monday night.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., sent condolences on behalf of the House of Representatives following confirmation of Hashida’s death.
Officer Hashida was a hero, who risked his life to save our Capitol, the Congressional community and our very Democracy,” Pelosi said in a statement. “All Americans are indebted to him for his great valor and patriotism on January 6th and throughout his selfless service.”
Monday, Romelia Hashida shared a photo of herself with her late husband.
Over 100 D.C. and Capitol police officers were injured defending the Capitol on Jan. 6, and four have died by suicide since then.
How Many Black Men Have Been Killed This Year
Of the 765 people killed by police in 2020, 28 percent of them have been black people despite comprising only 13 percent of the US population.
Police brutality in America has sparked an ongoing battle between communities marching with Black Lives Matter protesters and Blue Lives Matter supporters.
Global demonstrations have also taken place to protest the harsh treatment of black people by law enforcement.
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Deadliest Year For Police
2020 was the year of George Floyd, massive civil unrest, and anti-police sentiment stoked by radical activists, politicians, and the media. But worst of all, 2020 was the year of the unprecedented Covid-19 pandemic emergency. While organizations who track line of duty deaths each year have come up with different figures, 2020 was the deadliest year for Police in many years by far. And Covid-19 is largely to blame.
According to a report issued by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, as of December 31, 2020, 264 federal, state, military, tribal, and local law enforcement officers died in the line-of-duty in 2020. This represents an increase of 96% over the 135 officers killed in the line of duty the year before. Of these tragic deaths, the organization links Covid-19 as the confirmed cause of death in 145 cases.
The Officer Down Memorial Page tracks similar numbers, but in their accounting 2020 resulted in even more Covid-19 related deaths than the numbers tracked by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. According to the Officer Down count, 343 officers died in the line of duty in 2020, and 222 of them died of Covid-19.
However, it is important to note that this reduction in gun related police deaths do not tell the entire story. On December 30th, the National Fraternal Order of Police posted disturbing statistics on the dramatic rise of Police Officers shot and injured in the line of duty, with 311 officers shot overall in 2020 alone.
Fourth Officer Who Responded To Us Capitol Attack Dies By Suicide
Kyle DeFreytag, who was deployed to protect Capitol after police cleared building of rioters, died earlier in July
A fourth police officer who defended the US Capitol during the 6 January insurrection by extremist supporters of Donald Trump is now confirmed to have taken his own life.
Washington DCs Metropolitan police department confirmed late Monday that another of their officers, Kyle DeFreytag, died by suicide earlier in July, just hours after declaring that MPD officer Gunther Hashida killed himself on 29 July.
In January MPD officer Jeffrey Smith, a 12-year veteran of the force, and Capitol police officer Howard Liebengood, a 16-year veteran, both of whom also responded to the 6 January attack, died by suicide.
DeFreytag, who was 26, was deployed to protect the Capitol after police cleared the building of rioters, and was involved in enforcing a curfew, the department said.
The MPD chief, Robert Contee, had notified personnel of DeFreytags death on 10 July in a department-wide message, the department confirmed.
He had been an MPD officer for five years, according to his obituary.
Hashida had helped secure the Capitol on 6 January as part of the emergency response team within MPDs special operations division after a mob of thousands of Trump supporters stormed the building.
That attempt failed and Bidens victory was successfully certified by Congress in the early hours of the following morning.
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There Was An Increase In Unprovoked Attacks
In late 2021, two Bradley, Illinois, police officers were shot while responding to a call about dogs barking in a hotel parking lot Sgt. Marlene R. Rittmanic died from her injuries and Officer Tyler J. Bailey was hospitalized in critical condition.
In Baltimore, Officer Keona Holley died last month after being shot while sitting in her patrol car. Two suspects were charged with attempted murder in the shooting of Holley after they confessed to the crime, but their motive remains unclear, said Baltimore Police Commissioner Michael Harrison.
Among felonious deaths of officers last year, 25 were killed in unprovoked attacks through December 27 of last year, according to the FBI. Its a marked increase from previous years, which usually see the number of officers killed in unprovoked attacks in the low single-digits. In 2020, just two officers were killed in this manner.
The FBI told CNN that they are currently conducting an analysis on this sharp rise in reports of unprovoked attacks, which they say are not concentrated in any one region of the country.
The FBIs Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted data collection program refers to an ambush as an entrapment and premeditated attack, while unprovoked is classified as an attack not prompted by official contact at the time of the incident, according to the agency.