Shooting of officers up 19% across nation, according to police advocacy group

There have been nearly 19% more shootings of police officers this year, compared to this time in 2021, a law enforcement advocacy group said Friday.

Findings by the National Fraternal Order of Police are particularly disturbing in light of 2021 data on wounded officers is the highest in recent memory.

As of Friday morning, the union found that 178 officers have been shot in the line of duty in 2022, compared to 150 through the same time period of 2021, marking an 18.66% spike.

There were 346 officers shot in the line of duty in 2021, up from 312 wounded in 2020 and 293 in 2019.

Of the 178 shot so far this year, 33 of them were killed.

The report counts 35 ambush-style attacks on law enforcement officers this year, which have resulted in 57 officers shot, 12 of whom were killed.

The new FOP data also includes the slaying of two law enforcement officers in Kentucky on Thursday. The Floyd County Sheriff’s deputies were trying to serve a search warrant in Allen, Kentucky, when they came under fire, authorities said.

“Make no mistake — we are experiencing a real crisis with the level of violence directed at law enforcement officers,” National FOP President Patrick Yoes said in a statement. “It is unlike anything I’ve seen in my 36 years of law enforcement.”

Last year was one of the most dangerous years for law enforcement, with more officers shot in the line of duty than any other since the National Fraternal Order of Police began recording such data in late 2015, the union said.

The Associated Press contributed.