WASHINGTON (AP) - Law enforcement deaths this year dropped to their lowest level since 1959, while the decade of the 2000s was among the safest for officers - despite the deadliest single day for police on Sept. 11, 2001. ...more

December 29, 2009

A police officer is gunned down in his patrol car in Penn Hills, Pa., while waiting for backup. Near Seattle, four officers starting their day at a coffee shop are ambushed by an ex-con with a handgun. Four officers are shot to death in Oakland, Calif., after a traffic stop gone awry. ...more

December 26, 2009

A police officer is gunned down in his patrol car in Penn Hills, Pa., while waiting for backup. Near Seattle, four officers starting their day at a coffee shop are ambushed by an ex-con with a handgun. Another four officers are shot to death in Oakland, Calif., after a traffic stop gone awry. Across the nation, 2009 was a particularly perilous year for officers involved in gun disputes. ...more

December 13, 2009

Greater use of bullet-resistant vests and stun guns helped reduce police deaths in 2008 compared with the previous year, two law enforcement support groups report. The states with the most deaths were Texas with 14, followed by California with 12, then Florida and Pennsylvania with eight each. The figures, which covered deaths through Sunday, were reported by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund and Concerns of Police Survivors. ...more

December 30, 2008

Fewer police officers died in the line of duty in 2008 compared to last year, reflecting better training and tactics, two law enforcement support groups reported Sunday. ...more

December 29, 2008

The killing of Hillsborough County sheriff's Sgt. Ronald Harrison helped make Florida the nation's second deadliest state for law enforcement officers. ...more

December 27, 2007

A record number of fatal traffic incidents and a double-digit spike in shooting deaths led to one of the deadliest years for law enforcement officers in more than a decade, according to two Washington groups. ...more

December 27, 2007