Study Identifies 11,775 U.S. Law Enforcement Deaths From 2003 to 2024

A study led by Dr. Caroline Raymond-King of the Yale School of Medicine identified 11,775 deaths caused by law enforcement in the United States between 2003 and 2024, Newsweek reported. The total included 11,505 adults and 270 children.

Adult deaths rose from 363 in 2003 to 809 in 2024. Child deaths increased from 8 to 37 over the same period, a rise of more than 362 percent.

Firearms were involved in more than 10,300 deaths, or more than 87 percent of the total. More than 95 percent of those who died were male. Non-Hispanic Black males recorded the highest mortality rates in every year examined, with the greatest risk among Black men aged 18 to 29.

Black and Hispanic Americans faced higher risks than White Americans. The analysis drew on data from the National Center for Health Statistics and U.S. death certificates. The authors concluded that the findings point to the need for more accurate national tracking systems and interventions aimed at reducing such deaths, especially those involving firearms.

They cautioned that the estimates may be conservative because death certificates could miss up to 55 percent of cases due to incorrect classification. , Jeffery, M. , & Melnick, E. R. (2026).

JAMA. Advance online publication. Lance LoRusso, a former law enforcement officer and attorney who represents officers in shooting cases, stated that the study lacks necessary context to differentiate what individuals were doing at the time of death.

He said using death certificates to determine a causal basis is extremely misleading and cited the Michael Brown case, where the officer’s use of force was ruled lawful even though the death was classified as a homicide. Newsweek contacted the Department of Justice and Dr. Raymond-King for comment.