Police ranks falter amid rise in line-of-duty deaths
So far this year, 21 police officers were killed in ambush attacks, the most seen in two decades.
Lisa Marie Pane
Associated Press
December 30, 2016 —Ambushes in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and other shootings around the country led to a sharp increase in the number of police killed in the line of duty this year.
From Jan. 1 through Wednesday, 135 officers lost their lives. Some died in traffic accidents, but nearly half were shot to death. That's a 56 percent increase in shooting deaths over the previous year.
Of the 64 who were fatally shot, 21 were killed in ambush attacks often fueled by anger over police use of force involving minorities, the highest figure in two decades, according to the study from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which tracks data on the incidents.
http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Justice/2016/1230/Police-ranks-falter-amid-rise-in-line-of-duty-deaths
