As of December 31, the U.S. police shot 1,173 people to death in 2024. In 2023, 1,164 people were shot to death by police in the United States.
Police treatment
Since as early as the 18th century, police brutality has been a significant issue in the United States. Black Americans have been especially marginalized by police officers, as they have faced higher rates of fatal police shootings compared to other ethnicities. Disparities also exist in perceptions of police treatment depending on ethnicity. A majority of Black Americans think that Black and White people do not receive equal police treatment, while more than half of White and Hispanic Americans think the same.
Police reform
The upsurge in Black Lives Matter protests in response to the killing of Black Americans as a result of police brutality has created a call for police reform. In 2019, it was found that police killings decreased by a quarter in police departments that implemented a policy that requires officers to use all other means before shooting. Since the killing of George Floyd in May 2020, 21 states, including New York and California, have passed bills that focused on police supervision.
Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month
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Washington Post. (February 6, 2025). Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved May 17, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/
Washington Post. "Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month." Chart. February 6, 2025. Statista. Accessed May 17, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/
Washington Post. (2025). Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: May 17, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/
Washington Post. "Number of People Shot to Death by The Police in The United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by Month." Statista, Statista Inc., 6 Feb 2025, https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/
Washington Post, Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/ (last visited May 17, 2025)
Number of people shot to death by the police in the United States from 2017 to December 2024*, by month [Graph], Washington Post, February 6, 2025. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/585159/people-shot-to-death-by-us-police-by-month/
