More than 300 police officers died of COVID in 2021, the single largest cause of death for active police officers for the second consecutive year, according to the National Law Enforcement Memorial Fund, ABC News reports.
A record 458 police officers died in the line of duty in 2021, a 55% increase from the previous year when 295 died. Last year saw the highest number of fatalities since 1930, when 312 officers died. In 2021, 301 of those fatalities were attributed to coronavirus, while 62 were killed by guns, an increase of 36% from 2020.
“This year’s statistics demonstrate that America’s front-line law enforcement officers continue to battle the deadly effects of the Covid-19 pandemic nationwide,” the report said. “Law enforcement officers nationwide continue to be exposed to the Covid-19 virus in the course of their daily assignments; therefore, the number of line-of-duty deaths is sadly ever-increasing.”