The number of law enforcement professionals nationwide who died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025 decreased 53% compared to the same time period last year, according to preliminary data provided by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF). The NLEOMF data shows that 42 federal, state, county, municipal and officers from the U.S. territories have died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025, representing a 53% decrease compared to the 89 officers who died in the first half of 2024.
“Every number that we publish in this report represents a selfless sacrifice made on behalf of the community and the nation in which they serve,” NLEOMF CEO Bill Alexander said. “We lament to document even a single such death, but we are encouraged by how this data is trending currently. We continue to use our data to not only highlight the continuing dangers faced by our law enforcement professionals, but to highlight best practices in officer safety and wellness that we hope is impacting the safety of the men and women who work tirelessly to protect us.”
Firearms-related fatalities
Firearms-related fatalities have claimed the lives of 22 officers in 2025 thus far, which represents a decrease of 21% from the 28 officers killed by gunfire in the first half of 2024 and was the leading cause of death.
Traffic-related fatalities
There were 13 traffic-related fatalities in the first half of 2025; this is a decrease of 50% compared to the first half of 2024, which had a total of 26.
Other causes and fatalities
The “Other” category contains a wide variety of health-related deaths and other line-of-duty fatalities. Seven officer deaths are listed in the “Other” category versus 35 for the same period last year, which represents an 80% decrease from last year.
Additional demographics
There were 39 male officers killed in the line of duty, and three female officers. The average age of the fallen officers is 43, with an average of 13 years of service. On average, officers left behind two children.
The statistics released in the mid-year report are based on preliminary data compiled by the NLEOMF and may not represent a final or complete list of individual officers who will be added to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in 2026.
The engraving
There are currently more than 24,000 names of officers killed in the line of duty inscribed on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C., dating back to the first known death in 1786.
For a complete copy of the 2025 Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report, go to nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/latest-fatality-reports.
—www.NLEOMF.org—
