We often hear that being a Police officer is the most dangerous job in America. We often hear people talk about the sacrifice and the shear amount of danger that police officers face day in and day out as if they were Bruce Willis in Die Hard. Constantly bleeding and trying to stop highly trained and fashionably dressed evil doers from hurting innocent people.

The truth however is that being a police officer is not even in the top 10 dangerous jobs in America today. Your local sanitation worker, also known as the garbage man, is more at risk of dying on the job than a police officer.

In fact being a civilian that has been approached by a police officer is actually way more dangerous.

As of the writing of this article 10 officers have died this year (2015) in the line of duty.

1 officer that passed away has died from cancer related to 9/11.

Deputy Chief Steven Bonano died from blood cancer he contracted after inhaling toxic materials as he participated in the rescue and recovery efforts at the World Trade Center site after the terrorist attacks on September 11th, 2001. This is a man worth saluting, thank you for your service Chief Steven.

4 officers have died in automobile accidents

Sergeant Kerry Mitchum died in a single vehicle crash on Oak Lane, near Highway 59, in Stapleton. He was on route to the Baldwin County Sheriff’s Office firing range at about 3:00 pm when his department vehicle left the roadway and struck a tree.

Detective John Stevens succumbed to injuries sustained two weeks earlier in a single vehicle on Dover Road in Lacey Township. He was working on an undercover assignment and was driving an undercover vehicle when it crossed the center and struck a tree.

Corrections Officer Christopher Davis and Corrections Officer Eligio Garcia died in a prison bus crash on I-20 near Penwell, Texas, at about 7:30 am. The bus was transporting 10 inmates from a transfer facility in Abilene to the Rogelio Sanchez State Jail in El Paso. The vehicle struck a patch of ice on an overpass, causing it to slide off the highway and down an embankment. The bus then struck a passing train and the vehicle was dragged along the tracks, breaking apart. 8 prison inmates also died in the crash.

1 officer was killed in a gunfire related shooting (accidental)

He was shot by another officer

Director of Investigations John Gorman was accidentally shot and killed during a training exercise at the Mississippi Gaming Commission’s office in Robinsonville, Mississippi, at about 9:00 am. A firearm being used by another agent was accidentally discharged and the round struck Director Gorman.

2 officers died due to heart attacks

Motor Officer Mike Kern suffered a fatal heart attack while on duty and detailing his department motorcycle in preparation for a planned presidential escort during an upcoming visit by President Barack Obama.

Assistant Chief Carl Borderlon suffered a fatal heart attack inside of the police department’s headquarters building during the early morning hours after having changed a flat tire on his patrol car.

1 officer was struck by an automobile

This one breaks my heart and I salute this man who was just doing a good thing trying to help people out. If you try to bash this guy you are going to get a big f you from me.

Sergeant Sean Renfro became struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic at an accident scene on Highway 285, at Doubleheader Ranch Road, near Aspen Park at about 2:40 pm. Sergeant Renfro, who was off-duty, had stopped to aid at the scene of a previous crash when his vehicle was also struck as the result of icy and snowy conditions. He remained on scene and was assisting Colorado State Patrol troopers by directing traffic as they worked the accident.

As he directed traffic around the accident scene an SUV lost control, crossed over the center line, and struck Sergeant Renfro, a bystander, and one of the vehicles involved in the second crash. A trooper was also injured by flying debris.

1 officer died in pursuit of a suspect

Police Officer Craig Chandler succumbed to injuries sustained two months earlier when he was in a crash during a pursuit of a moped. He and other officers were attempting to detain a group of people who were riding dirt bikes, which are illegal to use in the city. One of the people they were attempting to detain on a moped which then fled the scene. Both the moped and the patrol car Officer Chandler was riding in struck a utility pole on the 2200 block of Kirk Avenue.

This one is a shame because the pursuit of a person riding a dirt bike was important enough for someone to die over.

10 Officers have died this year and you can verify this at http://www.odmp.org/search/year

Meanwhile in 2014, 121 Officers died in the line of duty. But wait lets break that down

2 died to drowning, one a police dog and another was an officer whose vehicle got swept away during a flood.

26 died in automobile accidents where most of them involved single car accidents such as the police officer running off the road due to weather or ice, striking center dividers or hitting a tree.

2 Died due to duty related illness, one was a K-9 officer that ate something poisonous while tracking a suspect in the woods, and another died to exposure to forensic chemicals from the lab.

2 Died of accidental gun discharges by other officers

47 officers died of gunfire from suspects

17 died of heart attacks

4 died of motorcycle related accidents,

2 were caused by vehicles attempting to turn left in front of officers one was a single vehicle accident and one was a head on collision.

9 officers died by being struck by vehicles

4 K9 unit dogs had been run over by vehicles after moving in front of oncoming traffic.

5 officers hit by vehicles while on the side of the road or crossing the street.

5 officers died in vehicle pursuits

Of those 5, 3 ran into trees while 2 were collisions with other vehicles.

10 Officers died by having their vehicle struck on the highway. It is unclear if those officers were wearing seat-belts.

These reports come from the Officer down memorial page http://www.odmp.org/ , they keep track of all deaths of police officers while on duty or in duty related deaths.

Meanwhile just this month January 2015

83 citizens died in interactions with police this month alone.

In 2014 1100 people died in interactions with police.

In 2011 17 US citizens died due to terrorism while 155 Americans died in interactions by Police officers.

This means that in 2011 you were 9 times more likely have been killed by a police officer than a terrorist.

I bring these stats up because it begs the question, if police are dying in numbers way smaller than the citizens they meet, why are they getting military grade weapons and vehicles designed for use in combat zones under the guise of police safety? And has this gifting of Department of defense surplus also caused harm by also giving local police military tactics that should only be deployed in combat situations? I mean what does a small town in Georgia need with 4 grenade launchers? Look for these answers and more in my next article.

Special thanks to http://www.killedbypolice.net/kbp2014.html for their continued tracking of deaths involving police interactions.

I would also like to note that there is no current national database that accurately tracks all police shootings. Government officials have given it up and it is up to grassroots movements to help document this information. FBI stats have proven to be skewed as in this article in the WSJ

http://www.wsj.com/articles/hundreds-of-police-killings-are-uncounted-in-federal-statistics-1417577504

It is time we demand more accountability from our local governments to make sure every police officer involved shooting becomes documented and archived to make for a better tracking of whether we have an epidemic on our hands in police departments across America. If we can’t see the facts to judge if there really is a problem how can we hope to make reforms? Please contact your Representatives and ask for local police shooting records reform.

http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

By Emmanuel Goldstein – DontComply.com