Cops More Likely to Be Killed on the Job in States With Higher Gun Ownership

Cops are more likely to be murdered on the job in states with higher rates of gun ownership, according to a new study.

Research published in the American Journal of Public Health analyzed the 782 police killings in America between 1996 and 2010, 92% of which involved firearms. Even after correcting for socioeconomic differences involving race, income and education, the homicides were much more likely to occur in the states with the most gun owners (0.95 police killings per 100,000 officers) than those with the least (0.31 police killings per 100,000 officers).

A policeman was most recently shot to death in Shreveport, La., on Aug. 5. Officer Thomas LaValley was responding to a domestic violence call, which accounts for 15% of police killings. Louisiana has a higher-than-average rate of gun ownership.

[New York Times]