Shootings by Los Angeles Police Department officers have increased this year, the department announced Friday.
There were 43 shootings by officers as of Monday, with 33 suspects struck by gunfire, according to the department. There were 26 shootings by officers from Jan. 1-Dec. 8, 2024.
The 2025 shootings included 18 with suspects armed with firearms, up from 12 in 2024, the department said. Suspects in nine shootings had imitation or replica guns, compared with four last year;.
Knives or other edged weapons were used in 10 shootings, up from six in 2024. Officers were fired upon 12 times this year, compared with seven in 2024.
“A preliminary analysis into the OIS increase shows the encounters our officers are facing this year are more violent and more dangerous,” the department said in a statement.
The criminal filings highlight the severity of these incidents, the department said.
Six suspects were charged with attempted murder of a police officer, up from four last year, while 15 suspects were charged with assault with a deadly weapon on an officer, more than double the seven charged in 2024.
The department said officers are facing a more dangerous environment this year, with more armed suspects, more replica firearms, more assaults with edged weapons, and more instances of individuals firing at officers.
The increase in shootings by officers reflects a corresponding rise in violence directed at law enforcement, police said.
Each shooting by an officer undergoes multiple layers of review, including internal evaluations and independent oversight, to ensure compliance with law and department policy, police said.
Officers are trained to prioritize de-escalation, make sound tactical decisions, and safely resolve critical incidents. Guided by the principle of ”Reverence for Human Life,” they are instructed to use all available options when confronting violent individuals and can request specialized assistance, including mental health professionals, when necessary.
The LAPD provides preliminary information on each officer-involved shooting through lapdonline.org and its YouTube channel, @LAPDHQ, via the ”Critical Incident Community Briefings.”