California is leading state
IN 2014, 126 law enforcement officers were killed nationwide in the line of duty—a 24 percent jump since 2013, according to an annual report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. Of those deaths, 15 were ambush assaults and 14 were in California.
California, the most populous state in the nation, led the US in police gun deaths, according to the report. Texas followed closely, with 11, and New York, with nine—including the recent Dec. 20 ambush attacks on NYPD officers Rafael Ramos and Wenjian Liu.
Nationwide gun deaths spiked 56 percent over the last year for a total of 50. The sharp increase comes amid increased tensions and animosity between police and citizens following the high-profile deaths of unarmed black men by white police officers, including Eric Garner in New York and Michael Brown in Ferguson, Mo.
Aside from traffic-related incidents, ambush attacks on police officers were a top cause of “felonious officer deaths” for the fifth consecutive year, according to the DC-based nonprofit, which aims to honor the service and sacrifice of policemen and women.
“We issue this report each year as a stark reminder that some 900,000 sworn law enforcement officers go out each and every day putting their lives on the line for our safety and protection,” said Craig W. Floyd, chairman of the Memorial Fund.
“With the increasing number of ambush-style attacks against our officers,” Floyd continued, “I am deeply concerned that a growing anti-government sentiment in America is influencing weak-minded individuals to launch violent assaults against the men and women working to enforce our laws and keep our nation safe.”
The 2014 national total of police gun fatalities—151—is less than the average for the last decade. The highest in recent years occurred in 2011, with 171 reported deaths.
The most deadly year in history, according to the Memorial Fund, was in 1930, when 300 police officers were killed in the line of duty.
“Enough is enough,” said Floyd. “We need to tone down the rhetoric and rally in support of law enforcement and against lawlessness.”
(With reports from LA Times, Fox News)
(www.asianjournal.com)
(LA Weekend January 3-6, 2015 Sec. A pg.5)
