Officer Profiles: Among the officers who were feloniously killed, the average age was 39 years. The victim officers had served in law enforcement for an average of 10 years at the time of the fatal incidents. Thirty-seven of the victim officers were male and 4 were female. Thirty of the officers were white, 9 were black, and 1 was American Indian/Alaskan Native. Race information was not reported for 1 of the victims.

Circumstances: Of the 41 officers feloniously killed, 9 of the slain officers were involved in arrest situations; 8 were performing traffic stops; 7 were investigating suspicious persons/circumstances; 7 were involved in tactical situations (e.g., high-risk entry); 6 were ambushed; 2 were performing investigative duties; 1 was handling, transporting, or maintaining custody of a prisoner; and 1 was answering a disturbance call.

Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted, 2008, is available exclusively on the FBI’s Web site at www.fbi.gov/ucr/killed/2008/.