The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund released a new preliminary Law Enforcement Officer Fatalities Report showing an increase in overall law enforcement fatalities in 2018 compared to the prior year.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Craig Floyd said most were from firearms related incidents, 52 were killed, which is up 13 percent from 2017.
But, there were other causes, like traffic related, or drowing.
42 officers died from other job-related illnesses, like the 18 who died heart attacks,
“There was an officer who drowned in Waller County earlier this year, patrol car swept away by floodwaters, Lauren Vasquez. That occurred in October,” said Floyd.
Other deaths were traffic related. This year, 50, which is a nine percent increase from last year.
“There were six incidents in Texas where officers died in traffic related incidents. Two from motorcycles, one auto crash. Three officers struck and killed outside of their vehicles in Texas this year,” said Floyd.
Historically, Texas leads the nation is law enforcement deaths.
There have been 1,742 law enforcement professional who have died—which is more than in any other state.