Against the backdrop of illegal aliens beating up on NYPD in Times Square and shooting Metropolitan Police Department officers in the nation's capital, the number of American law enforcement officers shot in the line of duty so far in 2024 is outpacing the number of attacks recorded by this time last year.
Per data tracked by the National Fraternal Order of Police, there have been 63 officers shot in the line of duty through the end of February in 2024 in 30 states. That's seven percent more officers shot on duty than through this date in 2023. Tragically, seven officers have been killed so far in 2024.
In all of 2023, 378 officers were shot in the line of duty and 46 were tragically killed.
Through just two months of the new year, officers have been shot in 11 ambush-style attacks — defined as when an officer is struck by gunfire without any warning or opportunity to defend themselves — so far. Those ambushes have seen 15 officers wounded and two killed.
"Many will often look at this data and just see numbers, but we must remember that they represent heroes—fathers, mothers, sons, and daughters," urged National Fraternal Order of Police President Patrick Yoes in a statement Friday. "This scale of violence against our officers is horrifying and simply unsustainable," he warned.
"It is no wonder that our profession is facing a recruitment and retention crisis," Yoes noted. "What father or mother would want their child to become an officer knowing the dangers they face every day?" Calling on Americans to say "enough is enough," Yoes declared "the violence against those sworn to protect and serve is beyond unacceptable; it’s a stain on our society, and it must end."
The following law enforcement officers have been killed by gunfire in the line of duty in 2024:
- Deputy Sheriff Justin Smith, Stone County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
- Deputy Sheriff Jeremy Malone, George County Sheriff's Office, Mississippi
- Deputy Sheriff Greg McCowan, Blount County Sheriff's Office, Tennessee
- Sergeant Nevada Krinkee, Sheridan Police Department, Wyoming
- Officer Paul Elmstrand, Burnsville Police Department, Minnesota
- Officer Matthew Ruge, Burnsville Police Department, Minnesota
- Officer Cody Allen, Independence Police Department, Missouri
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