Law Enforcement Officers more likely to be killed in states with more guns

An article by former HSPH occupational health post-doctoral fellow  David Swedler and HSPH faculty Francesca Dominici and David Hemenway in the American Journal of Public Health found that LEO homicide rates were three times higher in states with high firearm ownership rates compared with states with low firearm ownership.  The article examined the 782 LEO homicides (92% by firearms) from 1996-2010 and found that rates of firearm ownership was the best predictor of the varying levels of LEO homicide victimization.  Results controlled for the main factor likely to affect LEO homicides (violent crime rates) as well as many factors expected to affect homicide rates in the general population.  Higher levels of private firearm ownership appear to increase the frequency with which officers faced potentially life-threatening situations (e.g., domestic violence calls).