In my 37 years of law enforcement, I never saw such an explosion of violence against police officers as the country has had over the last several years.
There is clear evidence in the number of officers shot in the line of duty: As of Sept. 4, 272 law enforcement officers were shot in the line of duty throughout the United States, and of those, 34 were killed by gunfire, according to a report from the National Fraternal Order of Police. The number of officers shot is up 25% compared to the same time period in 2020, the report found. In Illinois so far this year, eight police officers were shot in the line of duty. Texas, with 21 officers shot, leads the nation.
