48 Officers Intentionally Killed in 2006

May 15, 2007
Forty-six were shot and killed and two were struck by vehicles.

WASHINGTON --

Forty-eight police officers were intentionally killed in the line of duty last year, the FBI said Monday.

Forty-six were shot and killed and two were struck by vehicles. The 48 officers intentionally killed were among 114 who died in the line of duty. Both numbers were down slightly from last year.

Handguns accounted for 35 of the fatal shootings. Eight officers were killed with rifles, two with shotguns and one with an unknown type of firearm, the FBI said in its preliminary report. A final version will be released this fall.

At the time of their deaths, 26 officers were wearing body armor.

Nearly half of the intentional killings, 22, occurred in the South. Eleven officers were killed in the West, seven in the Northeast, six in the Midwest and two in Puerto Rico

Seven fewer officers were intentionally killed in the line of duty last year than in 2005. The total number of line-of-duty deaths also dropped from 122.

Of the 66 officers who died accidentally, 38 died in car accidents, 11 were hit by vehicles, eight died in motorcycle accidents, four died in accidental shootings, three were killed in aircraft accidents and two died in bicycle accidents, the FBI said.

Copyright 2007 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

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