2021 proved to be the deadliest year on record for law enforcement, according to a new report by the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund. But it wasn’t due to shootouts or even traffic accidents.
The leading cop killer last year by far was COVID-19.
In all, 301 police officers succumbed to the coronavirus in 2021, a 65% increase over 2020 and a majority of all officer deaths, according to the report. Missouri was one of seven states reporting at least seven officer deaths from COVID. The others were Texas, California, Tennessee, North Carolina, Georgia and Florida.
The overall number of law enforcement professionals who died in the line of duty in 2021 increased 55% over the previous year, to 458. Firearms-related fatalities claimed the lives of 62 officers in 2021, a 38% increase from last year and traffic-related fatalities increased 38%.
But COVID deaths among officers is a problem that's expected to linger on into the new year. Muscogee County Sheriff Gregory Countryman of Georgia said he’s got 18 deputies currently infected.
“Not only are we fighting with the criminals, we’re also fighting with this virus that’s out there,” Countryman said.
Related
