Law Enforcement Officers Killed in the Line of Duty.

According to preliminary figures released by the FBI, 61 law enforcement officers were slain feloniously in the line of duty in 1998. Seventy officers lost their lives due to criminal action in 1997.

During 1998, handguns were used in 40 of the murders, rifles in 17, and a shotgun in 1. A vehicle was used in 1 killing, a blunt object in another, and a bomb was the weapon in the remaining attack. Thirty-four officers were wearing body armor at the time of their deaths, and 6 were slain with their own weapons.

Sixteen officers were slain during arrest situations: 7 were investigating drug-related incidents; 6 were serving arrest warrants; and 3 were attempting to prevent robberies or apprehend robbery suspects. Sixteen officers were killed while answering disturbance calls, 10 in ambush situations, 9 while enforcing traffic laws, 6 while investigating suspicious persons or circumstances, and 4 while handling prisoners. Authorities have cleared 51 of these incidents by arrest or exceptional means, and 5 suspects remain at large.

Preliminary statistics also indicate that in 1998, an additional 77 officers accidentally lost their lives during the performance of their duties. This total represents an increase of 15 over the 62 accidental deaths that occurred in 1997.

Final statistics and complete details have been published in Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted -- 1998.