NCJ Number
235542
Date Published
2010
Length
67 pages
Annotation
This annual report for 2009 presents information on reported incidents of assaults or deaths of law enforcement officers that occurred in the line of duty in Tennessee.
Abstract
For 2009, 237 Tennessee law enforcement agencies reported law enforcement officers killed or assaulted (LEOKA). For these agencies, 2,037 LEOKA incidents were reported. They involved 1 of 11 officer activity types. The most frequently reported duty context for a death or assault was responding to a disturbance (31.5 percent), followed by attempting an arrest (19.2 percent). Ambush with no warning was the context for 0.5 percent of the deaths or assaults. The total number of LEOKA-related injury types was 1,964. No injuries occurred in 72 percent of the cases. Apparent minor injuries resulted in 26.0 percent of the cases. Other reported injuries were apparent broken bones (0.6 percent); severe lacerations (0.6 percent); possible internal injuries (0.3 percent); other major injuries (0.5 percent); unconsciousness (0.1 percent; and loss of teeth (0.1 percent). A total of 2,054 weapon types were reported, with the most frequently used being a "personal weapon" (68.8 percent), which involved the use of hands, fists, or feet. A wide variety of weapon types were reported for the remaining incidents (31.2 percent). Firearms were reported as a weapon in 6.9 percent of the incidents. The majority of incidents were reported as occurring between 9:00 p.m., and 3:00 a.m. (40.7 percent). The most frequently reported location for LEOKA incidents was residence/home (32.9 percent), followed by highway/road/alley at 28.4 percent. A total of 1,813 LEOKA incidents were cleared, resulting in an 89.0 percent clearance rate. The average age of LEOKA victims was 39, and the average age of LEOKA offenders was 31. The most frequently reported vehicle assignments for LEOK victims were one-officer vehicle - assisted (37.7 percent) and one-officer vehicle - alone (32.3 percent). Extensive tables and figures and appended employment numbers by agency as of October 31, 2009