The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (NLEOMF) reports that the number of law enforcement officers who died in the line of duty for the first six months of 2025 is down 53% compared to the total of duty deaths in the first six months of 2024.
According to preliminary data NLEOMF reports that 42 federal, state, territory, county, and municipal officers died in the line of duty in the first half of 2025, compared to 89 officers who died in the first half of 2024 during the same timeframe.
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.
“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,” said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Bill Alexander. “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.”
For a complete copy of the 2025Mid-Year Preliminary Law Enforcement Officers Fatalities Report, go to: https://nleomf.org/memorial/facts-figures/latest-fatality-reports/
