By Jennifer Gomori, POJ Editor, with excerpts from NLEOMF

The number of Law Enforcement Officers who died in the line of duty nationwide in 2025 decreased 25 percent compared to 2024, a notably historic 80-year low for officer fatalities, according to preliminary data gathered by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF).

In 2025, 111 federal, state, county, municipal, and U.S. Territories officers were killed in the line of duty compared to 148 officer duty deaths in 2024, as reported in the NLEOMF’s 2025 End-of-Year Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report. The dramatic drop in national officer fatalities was at a comparable level in 1943, when 94 officers died in the line of duty.

“Each of the 111 fatalities we publish in this report represents a selfless sacrifice made on behalf of the community and the nation in which they serve,” said NLEOMF CEO Bill Alexander. “We lament to document even a single such death, but this encouraging downward trend in fatalities likely reflects the continued adoption of proven best practices by police, sheriff, and corrections agencies, as well as a growing emphasis on the physical and psychological health of the men and women who work to keep our communities safe. These practices align directly with — and underscore the importance of — NLEOMF’s Officer Safety and Wellness initiatives, which are designed to help ensure that more officers return home safely at the end of each shift.”

Firearms-related deaths account for most of the 2025 fatalities, with 44 officers killed by gunfire. However, gunfire deaths declined 15 percent when compared to the 52 firearms-related fatalities in 2024.

Traffic fatalities dropped 23 percent year over year. In 2025, there were 34 traffic-related deaths versus 44 traffic-related fatalities in 2024.

The largest reduction in deaths was in the ‘other’ causes category. There were 33 officer deaths in 2025 compared to 52 who died from other causes in 2024. The dramatic 37 percent decline includes 26 officers who passed from physical-related causes, such as long-term illnesses related to the September 11th terror attacks and acute medical events brought on by extreme or stressful events experienced on duty. The remaining ‘other’ causes include: three officers killed in a bomb-related incident; one officer was stabbed to death; one was crushed; one died in an aircraft crash; and one officer drowned.

Two Michigan officers were killed in the line of duty. Detroit Police Officer Kelvin Patrick died Feb. 6, 2025 of complications from wounds sustained when he was shot on duty May 24, 1996, leaving him partially paralyzed, according to Officer Down Memorial Page. Detroit Police Corporal Rhonda E. Morris died Aug. 18, 2025 from complications due to injuries sustained during firearms qualifications training on Oct. 18, 2024.

The state with the most fatalities was California with 14 officer deaths, followed by 13 law enforcement officers killed in New York in the line of duty. Florida lost eight officers to duty deaths and seven Texas officers were killed. Five officers each died in: Georgia, Louisiana and Pennsylvania. Four law enforcement deaths each occurred in Kansas, Ohio and Virginia. Four federal officers also died in the line of duty.

States that had two officer duty deaths each in 2025 are: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Utah and Washington. Three officers were killed in South Carolina. One officer each was killed in the line of duty in: Alabama, Arizona, Arkansas, Delaware, Minnesota, Nebraska, Nevada, Tennessee, Wisconsin, Hawaii, and one U.S. Territorial officer was killed.

There were zero fatalities in 18 states, including D.C., and no tribal or military officers were killed in 2025.

The statistics released in the 2025 report are based on preliminary data compiled by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund 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.

Click here for the full 2025 End-of-Year Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report.