WISCONSIN — No Wisconsin officers died in the line of duty in 2022, but in 2023, four local officers have already lost their lives.

Milwaukee police officer Peter Jerving was shot and killed on Feb. 7 while trying to arrest a robbery suspect. Hunter Scheel, an officer with the Cameron Police Department, and Emily Breidenbach, an officer with the Chetek Police Department, were fatally shot while conducting a traffic stop in Barron County on April 8. St. Croix County sheriff’s deputy Kaitie Leising was shot and killed May 6 while responding to a report of a potential drunk driver in a ditch.

While the specific uptick in Wisconsin has not been investigated, the FBI released a report on 2022 law enforcement deaths this week.

The FBI said 118 law enforcement officers were killed in the line of duty in the United States in 2022. Of those, 58 died in accidents while 60 died in “felonious” incidents.

Felonious deaths

Compared to 2021, in 2022, there was a 17.8% decrease of felonious deaths. In 2021, 73 officers were killed in criminal acts, compared to the 60 killed in 2022. In 2022, the felonious deaths occurred in 28 states and Washington, D.C.

The average age of officers killed in criminal acts was 39, and they served for an average of seven years.

Of the 60 officers killed in criminal acts, six were killed in unprovoked attacks. A dozen died as the result of investigative/enforcement activities, while another 12 were ambushed and killed. Four officers were killed in pursuits. Four officers were killed while assisting or encountering an “emotionally disturbed person.” Six were killed while responding to disorders and disturbances, and six were involved in “tactical” situations when they died. One officer was killed during an arrest. Three were killed while assisting other officers. Three were killed responding to a crime that was in progress. Two officers were killed while serving, or attempting to serve, a court order. One officer was killed while providing or deploying equipment (flares, traffic cones, etc.).

Of the 60 officers killed criminally, 49 were killed with a firearm. Three officers were killed with a vehicle being used as a weapon and eight were killed by personal weapons — which the FBI defined as “hand, fists, feet, etc.”

Of the 60 officers killed, law enforcement identified 51 suspects in connections to the cases, 10 of whom had prior criminal arrests. Two of them were under judicial supervision at the time of the deaths.

Accidental deaths

Compared to 2021, in 2022, there was a 3.6% increase of accidental deaths. In 2021, 56 officers were killed in accidents, compared to the 58 killed in 2022. Most of the officers killed in accidents were killed in motor vehicle crashes.

The average age of officers killed in accidents was 39, and they served for an average of 11 years.

Of the 58 officers killed in accidents, 35 were killed in motor vehicle crashes. Another 13 were pedestrian officers hit by vehicles. Six officers were killed in an aircraft crash. Two officers died in a fall and two died in firearm-related incidents.

Of the officers killed in motor vehicle accidents, at least six were wearing seatbelts — not including ATV and motorcycle riders. The other 25 officers’ seatbelt usages were not reported.