In 2021, 458 law enforcement officers died - up 55% compared to 2020, according to data released by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).
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In 2020, 295 federal, state, local and tribal officers died in the line of duty.
The closest number recorded was in 1930, when there was 312.
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The vast majority of deaths, 301, were due to COVID-19 according to the agency.
"Law enforcement officers nationwide continue to be exposed to the COVID-19 in the course of their daily assignments; therefore, the number of line-of-duty deaths is sadly ever-increasing," the report said.
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There was both an increase in officers killed by firearms (62 vs. 45 in 2020) and 58 died from traffic related incidents, an increase of 38% from 2020.
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Handguns were the leading cause of death in the firearm category - with eight in the month of October, making it the deadliest in 2021.
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