U.S. Data on Police Shootings and Violence

  • 15 % of civilians who experience police threat of or use of force during legal interventions are injured.

  • 250,000 An estimated 250,000 civilian injuries are caused by law enforcement officers annually.

  • 600 More than 600 people are killed by law enforcement in the U.S. each year.

Breaking down the data

An officer of the California Highway Patrol making a traffic stop on southbound State Route 85 in Cupertino.
Interactions with law enforcement
In one year, more than 50 million persons in the U.S. have contact with police during a traffic stop, street stop, arrest, traffic accident or resident initiated contact.
Police wear body cameras attached to their vests.
Threat or use of force
About 1 million of these civilians experience police threat of or use of force during these interactions.
Protesters react to tear gas at George Floyd protests in Washington, D.C.
Non-fatal hospitalizations
Of the estimated 250,000 civilians injured each year by law enforcement, approximately 75,000 suffer a non-fatal injury requiring hospital treatment.
Flowers cover the streets outside Cup Foods at a memorial for George Floyd.
Racial disparities
Black males comprise 6.1 percent of the total U.S. population but 24.9 percent of all persons killed by law enforcement.

Explore the data on police shootings and injuries