Forty-one law enforcement officers in the United States were killed in the line of duty during the first six months of 1991, according to recently released FBI statistics.
This year's semiannual total was only one lower than the first six months of 1990. Law enforcement agencies have cleared 39 of the 41 slayings.Handguns were used in 31 of the murders, rifles in eight and shotguns in two. Geographically, 17 officers were slain in the Southern states, 11 in the Midwestern states and four each in the Western and Northeastern states. Four officers were killed in Puerto Rico and one was killed in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
No officer has been killed in Utah during this year.
Ten officers were slain during arrest situations. Among the 10, four were involved in drug-related situations, two were attempting to prevent robberies or apprehend robbery suspects, one was attempting to apprehend burglary suspects and three were attempting arrests for other crimes.
Eight officers were slain in ambush situations, eight were answering disturbance calls when killed, and seven were slain while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances. Six were slain while enforcing traffic laws and two were killed while handling prisoners.
Sixteen officers were wearing body armor at the time of their deaths and seven were killed with their own weapons.