Fifty-one law enforcement officers slain on duty in 2000, 84 killed accidentally, FBI says

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Assailants killed 51 law enforcement officers on duty in the United States last year, the FBI said Monday. <br><br>That's 21 percent more than 1999, when 42 officers were slain at

Monday, November 26th 2001, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

WASHINGTON (AP) _ Assailants killed 51 law enforcement officers on duty in the United States last year, the FBI said Monday.

That's 21 percent more than 1999, when 42 officers were slain at work, but 28 percent below toll of 20 felonious deaths a decade ago, in 1991, the FBI said. The drop is consistent with a nationwide decline in major crimes that began in 1992.

In 2000, firearms remained the most frequent weapon for killing lawmen. Handguns _ in one case, the victim officer's service weapon _ accounted for 33 of the murders, rifles for 10 and shotguns for four. That is even though 29 of those who died wore bullet-resistant vests.

Of the killings in 2000, 13 were of officers conducting traffic stops; 12 involved arrest situations, such as trying to apprehend suspects or investigating drug-related crimes; 10 were ambushes; eight were of officers responding to disturbance calls; six involved investigations of suspicious circumstances; and two were of officers handling prisoners.

City police departments employed 27 of those reported killed on duty, county police and sheriff's departments 21 and states 3. No federal officers were killed.

Of 65 suspects identified in connection with the deaths, 51 have been arrested, nine were killed and five committed suicide, the FBI said.

In addition, 84 officers were accidentally killed on duty in 2000, a 29 percent increase over the year before.