Are law enforcement death rates rising?

Death-certificate data showed increases among adults and children over 2 decades, with Black males consistently recording the highest rates.

Category	Detail
Condition	Deaths caused by law enforcement
Key Mechanisms	Legal intervention recorded as an underlying or contributing cause, excluding legal executions.
Target Population	Adults and children, with a focus on non-Hispanic Black males.
Care Setting	Analysis of National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS) Multiple Cause-of-Death records.

Total of 11,775 deaths caused by law enforcement from 2003 to 2024.
Non-Hispanic Black males had the highest mortality rates in every year examined.
Firearms accounted for 88% of deaths caused by law enforcement.
Mortality rates increased significantly among children and adults post-2015.
Underreporting of deaths caused by law enforcement may be as high as 55%.

Deaths caused by law enforcement should be accurately coded in vital statistics.

Implement interventions to reduce deaths caused by law enforcement, particularly firearm deaths.

Enhance mortality surveillance to obtain accurate data on deaths caused by law enforcement.

Non-Hispanic Black and Hispanic populations have higher risks of death caused by law enforcement compared to White populations.

Adults and children affected by law enforcement actions.

Focus on preventive measures to reduce firearm-related deaths.

Ensure accurate documentation of police involvement in death certificates.
Monitor demographic disparities in mortality rates to inform public health interventions.