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A6 U.S. NEWS
Saturday 31 december 2016
Officers killed in the line of duty rose in 2016
LISA MARIE PANE and now, we’re being pur-
Associated Press sued.”
The number of police killed Less than two weeks after
in the line of duty rose the Dallas attack, a lone
sharply in 2016, driven by gunman in Baton Rouge
shootings of police around shot and killed three offi-
the country, most notably cers and wounded three
ambushes in Dallas and others outside a conve-
Baton Rouge, Louisiana. nience store in the weeks
From Jan. 1 through after a black man, 37-year-
Wednesday, 135 officers old Alton Sterling, was shot
lost their lives. Some died in and killed by police during
traffic accidents, but near- a struggle.
ly half were shot to death. Baton Rouge Police Cpl.
That’s a 56 percent in- Lester Mitchell was part-
crease in shooting deaths ners with Matthew Gerald,
over the previous year. Of one of the three slain offi-
the 64 who were fatally cers, and was among the
shot, 21 were killed in am- officers who raced to the
bush attacks often fueled scene of the shooting that
by anger over police use also killed sheriff’s deputy
of force involving minori- Brad Garafola and officer
ties. Montrell Jackson. Mitchell
“We’ve never seen a year In this July 25, 2016 file photo, the funeral procession for slain Baton Rouge police Corporal Mon- has daily reminders of the
in my memory when we’ve trell Jackson leaves the Living Faith Christian Center in Baton Rouge, La. Jackson, slain by a gun- deadly shootout, driving
had an increase of this man who authorities said targeted law enforcement. past the scene on his way
magnitude in officer shoot- Associated Press to police headquarters.
ing deaths,” said Craig “Just passing there, you
Floyd, president and chief ficers were killed simply be- humane society that we what had been a peace- can’t help but replay it
executive of the National cause of the uniform they are.” ful rally against police bru- over and over again,” he
Law Enforcement Officers wear and the job they do. In Dallas, a sniper on July tality. He killed five law said.
Memorial Fund. “These of- This is unacceptable to the 7 attacked at the end of enforcement officers and Mitchell said the shooting
wounded nine others has made him more alert
— the largest death toll and aware of potential
among law enforcement dangers on patrol, some-
from a single event since times in situations that
the 9/11 attacks, which wouldn’t have alarmed
killed 72 officers. Months him before, like a hand in
later, Dallas businesses and a pocket. “You learn to
residents still display blue cope with it, because if
ribbons and banners de- you don’t, you can drive
claring, “We support our yourself crazy,” he said.
Dallas police officers.” The National Law Enforce-
But even amid community ment Officers Memorial
support, the police depart- Fund’s Floyd said the im-
ment remains unsettled. pact of this year has been
Hundreds of officers have profound on law enforce-
retired or left the force over ment. Agencies are strug-
the past six months as the gling to recruit officers to
city struggles to find a way their ranks and those who
to increase pay and save continue to serve “talk
a failing police and fire about how their head is
pension. Former Chief Da- now on a swivel.”
vid Brown, who became “They’re always looking
a national figure in the af- over their shoulder, always
termath, was among those worrying about the next
who opted to retire. And attack that could come at
interim Dallas Police Asso- any time from any direc-
ciation president Frederick tion,” Floyd said.
Frazier said that morale is That was underscored by
“almost nonexistent.” the slaying in November of
“A lot of us are going a San Antonio detective
through the motions at who was fatally shot and
work. We’re hoping things killed outside police head-
will get better with our quarters as he was writing
struggle,” he said. Frazier a traffic ticket. The man
added that the attack accused of shooting him
was a “game changer. It said he was angry about
changed the perception a child-custody battle
of law enforcement. It re- and simply “lashed out at
versed the roll after Fergu- somebody who didn’t de-
son. We were the pursuer
serve it.”
