The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has revealed that the number of US police officers feloniously killed on the job in 2016 is up 61 percent year-on-year.
The law enforcement agency said a total of 118 police officers lost their lives in line of duty last year, 52 were accidental deaths and 66 were felony homicides – 62 of which were a result of gunshot wounds.
The latest report is the second highest number of felony killings of police officers since 2011, when 72 security forces died.
“Every law enforcement officer goes to work knowing that today might be his or her last,” US Attorney General Jeff Sessions said in a statement. “But last year, we saw a staggering 61 percent increase in the number of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty because of a felony, and on average, more than 150 officers were assaulted in the line of duty every single day. These numbers are as shocking as they are unacceptable.”
