A total of 160 law enforcement officers on federal and local levels had died in the line of duty this year as of midday Monday, a large increase over the 117 killed last year, when deaths reached a 50-year low, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Traffic accidents were by far the leading cause of line- of-duty deaths, as they have been for 13 years. Seventy- three officers were killed in traffic-related incidents this year, compared with 51 in 2009, the organization said.
Fifty-nine officers were fatally shot this year, an increase over the 49 killed last year.
Eighteen officers were killed in Texas, more than in any other state. The agencies with the most deaths were the California Highway Patrol and the Chicago Police Department, each with five.
