More American police officers were killed in the line of duty in 2016 compared to the prior year, according to the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Statistics released by the FBI show that 118 cops died last year, up 37 per cent from 86 killed the prior year. While some of those deaths were accidental, the majority - 66 of them - were intentional slayings, up from 41 in 2015.

Guns felled almost all of the officers, according to the FBI, though four of them were deliberately run down by vehicles.

Donald Trump has consistently positioned himself as a staunch law-and-order advocate and has argued since the presidential campaign that policing is unfairly under assault. He has vowed to toughen criminal penalties and said “the attacks on our police must end”.

That rhetoric has paralleled the rise of “Black Lives Matter” movement, which seeks to draw attention to African-Americans who die at the hands of police officers. the In recent weeks, Mr Trump has provoked a furor by lambasting professional athletes who kneel during the National Anthem to protest police brutality.

Attorney General Jeff Sessions decried the “staggering” numbers on police deaths as “shocking” and “unacceptable” and said the increase vindicates Mr Trump's approach. Mr Sessions earlier this year directed prosecutors to seek the maximum possible penalties, reversing an Obama-era turn toward leniency for drug offenders.

Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Show all 21 1 /21 Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Police officers patrol Airline Hwy Getty Images Police officers shot in Baton Rouge A law enforcement helicopter is seen near the scene where police officers were shot in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge A Baton Rouge Police officers patrol pours water on his head on Airline Hwy Getty Images Police officers shot in Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Police officers patrol Airline Hwy Getty Images Police officers shot in Baton Rouge President Obama speaks at a press conference in the Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House in Washington. Obama remarked on the shooting in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in which three officers were killed and three more wounded by armed suspects Getty Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off Airline Highway near the scene of a fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Baton Rouge Police officers patrol Airline Hwy Getty Images Police officers shot in Baton Rouge A police helicopter flies near the scene of a fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge East Baton Rouge Police officers patrol Airline Hwy Getty Images Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road after a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off Airline Highway near the scene of a fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge A law enforcement helicopter is seen near the scene where police officers were shot in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Law enforcement vehicles block access to Airline Highway REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge A police helicopter flies near the scene of a fatal shooting of police officers in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road near the site of a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road near the site of a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers arrive near the site of a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road after a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road after a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Police officers block off a road after a shooting of police in Baton Rouge REUTERS Police officers shot in Baton Rouge Authorities talk to the driver of a car near an area where several officers were shot while on duty less than a mile from police headquarters AP