Home News Report: Ambush-style police killings up 167%

Report: Ambush-style police killings up 167%

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Police officers from the Urbandale Police Department become emotional near a memorial for Urbandale officer Justin Martin, who was shot and killed Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 in Urbandale, Iowa. A white man with a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police ambushed and fatally shot two white Des Moines-area officers in separate attacks Wednesday as they sat in their patrol cars, authorities said. (Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register via AP)
Police officers from the Urbandale Police Department become emotional near a memorial for Urbandale officer Justin Martin, who was shot and killed Wednesday, Nov. 2, 2016 in Urbandale, Iowa. A white man with a history of racial provocations and confrontations with police ambushed and fatally shot two white Des Moines-area officers in separate attacks Wednesday as they sat in their patrol cars, authorities said. (Bryon Houlgrave/The Des Moines Register via AP)


Some startling new statistics show a dramatic rise in the number of ambush-style killings of police officers nationwide.

According to the National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, the number of police officers gunned down this year has increased 167%.

There have been 16 deadly police ambushes, so far this year.

Since 2014 –a year in which there were also 16 ambush-style killings alone – there have been a total of 40 officers shot and killed in ambushes.

“All of these tragedies remind us in very stark terms that America’s law enforcement professionals are facing clear and growing dangers on our behalf. And, when our police officers are at risk, we are all at risk,” said Steve Groeninger, a spokesperson for the DC-based non-profit.

“More officers have been shot and killed so far this year than during any full year since 2011,” USA Today reported.

Many believe that racially-charged media coverage of police-involved shootings has further strained the relationship between police and the communities they serve. Veteran law enforcement officers say this anti-cop climate we live in– fueled in part by the Black Lives Matter movement– has made the job even more dangerous.

The murder of 5 Dallas officers in July, three in Baton Rouge, then the two latest fatalities in Iowa, are all examples of ambush-style attacks, which can be planned or spontaneous, take place by surprise or from a secret position.

The USA Today article notes that on average, “one law enforcement officer is killed in the line of duty in the U.S. every 61 hours….a  total of 115 officers have been killed in the line of duty in 2016, a 15% increase over last year.”

 

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