Number of police officer deaths growing

(CBS News) Most serious crimes are down across the country -- but the number of police officers killed in the line of duty is up. On Thursday night, there were two more tragedies.

Michael Maloney, the police chief in Greenland, N.H., was killed in a drug raid. He was eight days from retirement. And in Modesto, Calif., Deputy Robert Paris was shot and killed while serving an eviction notice.

Suspect in fatal shooting of Police Chief Michael Maloney dies after New Hampshire standoff
Police Chief Michael Maloney killed days from retirement in New Hampshire drug bust

Last Sunday, four New York City police officers were wounded by a gunman. Two days before that, a police officer in Austin, Texas was shot and killed responding to a shoplifting. And in Melbourne, Florida last month, a sheriff's deputy was killed during a traffic stop.

In all of last year, 72 police officers were killed in the line of duty. So far this year, 35 officers have died and it's only April.

CBS News correspondent John Miller, a former assistant director of the FBI, spoke with CBS Evening News anchor Scott Pelley about this trend.

Watch the discussion about the growing deaths of police officers above

[NotModestoAgain]

All bet ya, that innocent cop got killed because MPD did something to make that man angry.

[KellyK93]

These statistics are wrong. Let me first say that any office lost in the line of duty is tragic, but I hate it when the news channels sensationalize things. The total number of officers killed in the line of duty last year was 177, not 72. By April 13th, 2011, 61 police officers had died in the line of duty, compared to 35 so far, so I would say it has gone down by almost half (42.6% to be EXACT). I am sorry, but I am a math person and was taught probabilities by a NASA mathematician - this kind of stuff drives me crazy. My source is the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund (they could be wrong, but I doubt it - they make it their job to know). Like I said one officer killed in the line of duty is too many, but don't state the numbers wrong. I watch CBS News regularly and just had to comment because I have seen this in a few places, not just here.

[qtip1207]

I think the number 72 instead of 177 is officers killed by someone i.e. shot. 177 includes traffic related fatalities. So the numbers of 72 and 35 in comparison to 177 and 61 is officer killed by someone committing a crime, not traffic accidents.

[Rejco100]

DO NOT EVER FORGET the BRUTAL MURDER of Kelly Thomas by DIRTY FULLERTON COPS!

[Rejco100]

NEVER TALK TO A COP...NEVER!

[Rejco100]

I witnessed a San Francisco cop SHATTER a 40 oz beer bottle on a homeless man's head while the homeless man was peacefully sitting down & not causing any problems; his entire side of his face was cut up and the cop said the homeless man fell on the bottl...AN ABSOLUTE LIE! I could not do a thing or the dirty cops would have KILLED ME!

[Rejco100]

People are demanding their FREEDOM & RIGHTS; cops & their lawmaking thugs are denying those!

[shockeyguy]

You've got to hand it to ALEC and the NRA. Wayne Lapierre's policy of buy guns every day and ALEC'S kill first and ask questions later seem to be working quite well.

[shockeyguy]

You've got to hand it to ALEC and the NRA. Wayne Lapierre's policy of buy guns every day and ALEC'S kill first and ask questions later seem to be working quite well.

[omnibus66]

Cops in this country are no longer "policemen". They have morphed into paramilitary terror squads reminiscent of Nazi Gestapo units. The average person, rather than respecting cops and seeing them as a protector, fears them. I would bet that anyone reading this has either experienced, or has a friend or relative who has personally been the victim of a cop's God complex. Cops stick it to innocent people every day just for the fun of it. Protect and serve? Dream on.

[mplsboywonder]

.... the police