Matthew T. Mangino
The search being conducted in eastern Pennsylvania may be unprecedented, but the ambush of law enforcement officers is not. Between 1990 and 2012, more than 1,200 law enforcement officers were murdered. About one in six of those murders were fatal ambushes, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP).
In a report recently released by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, the number of law enforcement professionals killed nationwide jumped 31 percent during the first half of 2014, compared to the same time in 2013. As of June 30, 25 officers were killed by gunfire—a 56 percent increase over last year’s figures—including five in ambush attacks. Those numbers have increased at least to 27 gunfire killings and seven ambushes.