law enforcement officers killed by felonious assault in 2011 1 1 President’s Message In 2011, 72 law enforcement officers lost their lives to felonious assault. Each of these 72 left behind agencies, families, colleagues, and friends struggling to come to grips with this sad reality. The questions following such a tragic events are unrelenting and many answers may never be found. However, there is one question that must resonate with every executive across this nation: could this have been prevented? What steps can we take as executives to further improve the safety of the nearly 800,000 law enforcement officers who police our country’s streets so that they arrive home safely to their families and loved ones? This report is an important first step in assuming this prevention stance. We must not only honor those who have fallen but also begin a critical examination of these incidents. Law Enforcement Officers Killed by Felonious Assault 2011, provides a glimpse into each one of these events. I can say with much certainty that many of the factors surrounding each incident are sadly familiar to those who have made the commitment to protect our communities. From robberies to domestic violence to traffic stops these are the calls we respond to every day in the execution of our duty. It therefore falls upon us as police leaders to examine these incidents more closely to understand how each tragic outcome occurred. IACP is committed to the issue of officer safety. When I was sworn in as President of this association I vowed to continue our comprehensive officer safety strategy which was begun through our SafeShield initiative and enhanced by the efforts of the National Center for the Prevention of Violence Against the Police. Officer safety will remain a top priority of the field and the IACP long past my tenure. However a culture shift needs to occur if we are going to make prevention our singular focus. In the end, we must both honor the fallen, and at the same time learn as much as we can from each incident. I challenge each of you to join us in this life saving endeavor, starting with your review of this report, and continuing with your collaboration with us to prevent future officer injury and death. Walt McNeil IACP President Chief of Police, Quincy, Florida 2 National Center for the Prevention of Violence Against the Police overview Responding to the need for critical information on emerging trends involving felonious assaults directed at law enforcement, the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP), in partnership with the Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice, established the National Center for the Prevention of Violence Against the Police (National Center). The mission of the National Center is to prevent felonious assaults against law enforcement through the timely development and dissemination of actionable information within the wider context of IACP’s officer safety initiatives. The IACP’s National Center is examining data from federal, state, local, campus, and tribal law enforcement agencies, as well as from existing data sources, on line-of-duty deaths and felonious assaults committed against law enforcement such as the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted program, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting System, and more. The focus on felonious assaults is complementary to, and is filling informational gaps relative to, both the IACP’s Officer Injury Project and BJA’s VALOR Project, which trains officers on how to prevent or survive violent encounters and ambush-style assaults. The IACP’s National Center is currently studying the aforementioned available data and information to develop awareness and strategies across the criminal justice system designed to prevent violent assaults against law enforcement officers. Part of the work being done is integrating these findings into the broader body of IACP’s Officer Safety Initiatives, which includes work on duty-related injuries, disabilities, police officer suicides, traffic stop safety, deaths, and more, with the goal of enhancing overall officer safety. To guide the work of the IACP’s National Center, a diverse group of professionals from the law enforcement, training, and research fields has been assembled to serve as advisors, including representation from IACP’s various sections, divisions, and committees, as well as several data providers. Advisory group members review project materials and contribute comments and insight on policy and practices within the field in order to ensure information distributed through the project is both relevant and helpful to the law enforcement profession. 3 Acknowledgements The International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP) wishes to express its sincere appreciation to the following organizations that have contributed to this document through guidance & counsel, support, and the contribution of data to the National Center: Bureau of Justice Assistance, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Justice Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Justice Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Violent Death Reporting Systems Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Law Enforcement Officers Killed & Assaulted IACP/DuPont Kevlar Survivors’ Club National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Research Triangle Institute International This [increase in law enforcement officer fatalities] is a devastating and unacceptable trend. Each of these deaths is a tragic reminder of the threats that law enforcement officers face each day – and the fact that too many guns have fallen into the hands of those who are not legally permitted to possess them… Departments across the country have mourned the loss of too many dedicated colleagues and friends… I want to assure the family members and loved ones who have mourned the loss of these heroes that we are responding to this year’s increased violence with renewed vigilance and will do everything within our power – and use every tool at our disposal – to keep our police officers safe. U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder December 28, 2011 This project is supported by Grant No. 2010-DB-BX-K085 awarded by the Bureau of Justice Assistance. The Bureau of Justice Assistance is a component of the Office of Justice Programs, which also includes the Bureau of Justice Statistics, the National Institute of Justice, the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention, the SMART Office, and the Office for Victims of Crime. Points of view or opinions in this document are those of the author and do not represent the official position or policies of the United States Department of Justice. 4 Table of Contents Foreword ........................................................................... 6 Introduction ...................................................................... 7 The 2011 Picture ..................................................................................... 7 Purpose .................................................................................................8 Approach ...............................................................................................9 Looking at Deadly Incidents by Type of Encounter ...............................................9 Disturbance ......................................................................10 General Disturbance ................................................................................ 10 Domestic Disturbance ............................................................................... 11 Arrest Situation ................................................................. 14 Burglary/Larceny in Progress ......................................................................14 Robbery in Progress ..................................................................................15 General Arrest ........................................................................................17 Ambush ............................................................................ 18 Traffic Pursuit/Stop ............................................................ 21 General Traffic Pursuit/Stop .......................................................................21 Traffic Violation Stop .............................................................................. 23 Warrant Service ..................................................................24 Investigating Suspicious Circumstances ..................................27 Investigative Activity ................................................................................ 27 Investigating Suspicious Person ................................................................... 29 Handling/Transporting Prisoners .........................................30 Moving Forward: Leveraging Felonious Assault Data to Save Lives ... 31 Conclusion ....................................................................... 32 5 Foreword There are few tasks as difficult as dealing with line-of-duty deaths of police officers. I know the impact all too well, having lost six officers in the four and half years that I’ve served as commissioner of the Philadelphia Police Department. Each officer’s death has a huge and painful impact on that officer’s family and friends, the entire police agency, and the community served by that agency. And