Police officer deaths by gunfire down 14 percent

Four percent more law enforcement officers at the federal state, territorial and local levels died in the line of duty in 2015 than in 2014, according to a preliminary report from the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, according to National Public Radio.

But despite several high-profile shootings of police in 2015, the group also says more officers died in traffic-related events (52) than from gunfire (42).

The number of police officers killed by gunfire fell 14 percent from the 49 who were shot and killed in 2014. Seven of those shootings followed traffic stops; six were surprise attacks on officers, such as the Aug. 29 slaying of sheriff's Deputy Darren Goforth at a gas station in suburban Houston.The 2015 figures released this week are in rough proportion to recent annual reports from the nonprofit NLEOMF, which says that in 15 of the past 20 years, traffic-related incidents have been the leading cause of death for officers killed in the line of duty.

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