Month: October 2021

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

As part of an annual week honoring police who have died in the line of duty, the FBI honored its own fallen, including seven whose names were added to the Bureau’s Wall of Honor this year. Among those remembered were two FBI Miami special agents who were ambushed and killed as they tried to search a home of a suspect in February.

Typically held in May annually, several in-person events surrounding Police Week were postponed until fall this year, including a motorcycle tour, candlelight vigil, wreath laying ceremony, and Blue Mass service.

In an interview during Police Week events last week, FBI Director Christopher Wray reflected on the sacrifices of the Bureau’s law enforcement partners, who risk their safety to protect the public.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

According to statistics reported to the FBI, 60,105 law enforcement officers were assaulted while performing their duties in 2020. These assaults were reported to the FBI by 9,895 law enforcement agencies. Based on these reports, there were 4,071 more officers assaulted in 2020 than the 56,034 assaults reported in 2019. Data regarding these assaults were released today in the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA) portion of the FBI’s Law Enforcement Data Explorer.

Injuries and Weapons 

• Of the 60,105 officers who were assaulted in 2020, 18,568 (30.9%) sustained injuries.
• 44,421 officers were assaulted with personal weapons (e.g., hands, fists, or feet); 25.8% of these officers were injured.
• 2,744 officers were assaulted with firearms; 6.1% of these officers were injured.
• 1,180 officers were assaulted with knives or other cutting instruments; 9.7% of these officers were injured.
• The remaining 11,760 officers were assaulted with other types of dangerous weapons; 16.8% of these officers were injured.

Circumstances 

Of all officers who were assaulted in 2020, agencies reported officers were involved in these circumstances at the scenes of the assaults: 

• Responding to disturbance calls such as family quarrels or bar fights (29.6%)
• Attempting other arrests (16.1%)
• Handling, transporting, or maintaining custody of prisoners (12.6%)
• Investigating suspicious persons or circumstances (8.8%)
• Traffic pursuits or stops (8.4%)
• Civil disorder, such as mass disobedience or riots (4.1%)
• Handling persons with mental illness (3.9%)
• Burglaries in progress or pursuing burglary suspects (1.3%)
• Ambush situations (0.8%)
• Robberies in progress or pursuing robbery suspects (0.8%)
• All other types of circumstances (13.6%)

2020 assault data tables and companion documents are exclusively located on the FBI’s Law Enforcement Data Explorer (a subset of the Crime Data Explorer).

Data and statistics concerning officers feloniously killed, officers accidentally killed, and federal officers killed and/or assaulted in 2020 were previously released to the Law Enforcement Data Explorer in May 2021. With today’s release of assault data, all 2020 LEOKA data are now available.

Previous editions of the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted publication contain data from 1996 to 2019.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

The FBI has assumed the lead in the investigation into the vandalism of the India Palace restaurant in Santa Fe and is asking members of the public to come forward with any information they may have.

The Santa Fe Police Department continues to work with the FBI on this case.

Based upon information gathered during the investigation, Santa Fe Police have not ruled out that persons associated with the restaurant may have been involved in the damage that occurred to the restaurant on June 22, 2020.

“This crime has attracted considerable local and national attention,” Special Agent in Charge Raul Bujanda of the Albuquerque FBI Division said. “I want to thank the Santa Fe Police Department for all the work they have done on this case. We are determined to find whoever is responsible for what happened at the India Palace and bring them to justice.”

“The Santa Fe Police Department is grateful for all of the assistance we’ve received from the FBI throughout the course of this investigation,” Deputy Chief Paul Joye said. “We are committed to continuing our work with the FBI, to ensure that the person or persons responsible for this vandalism are brought to justice.”

Anyone with information on this case is asked to call the FBI at 505-889-1300 or Sante Fe Police Department at 505-955-5257.

Tips can also be sent to the FBI online at tips.fbi.gov.

Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation FBI Crime News (b)

The FBI is seeking information from a bank robbery that took place Monday, October 11, 2021, at approximately 10:03 a.m. at a Chase Bank branch located at 18575 NW 67 Avenue, Hialeah, Florida.

A robber entered the bank and demanded money from a bank employee.  There were no injuries.  The amount of money taken will not be released at this time.

The FBI issues press releases for matters of public safety and/or requests for public assistance/information.

Anyone with information about this robbery or an FBI investigation is urged to call (754)703-2000.