1 Washington police officer killed in 2014
Law enforcement fatalities rose in 2014, but only one Washington officer was killed in the line of duty this year, according to a report released Tuesday by the nonprofit National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund.
Wapato Police Officer Derek Hansen died March 8 from blood clots that entered his lungs. According to reports by the Yakima Herald-Republic, the coroner linked his death to a shoulder injury Hansen sustained in 2011 while struggling with a suspect who resisted arrest. His death was ruled a homicide.
Nationally, 126 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty last year, versus just 102 in 2013. That was the lowest number of officer fatalities since 1944.