This undated photo provided by the Auburn Police Department shows Officer William Buechner, who was killed while responding to a domestic disturbance report on Sunday, May 19, 2019. Grady Wayne Wilkes, who opened fire on police Sunday night, killing Buechner and wounding two other officers, was arrested Monday, May 20 and charged with capital murder, authorities said. (Auburn Police Department via AP)
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Alabama is seeing an alarming rise in gun violence against law enforcement officers, authorities said.
Three Alabama police officers were killed in the first half of 2019, Al.com reported .
“Alabama has already lost three police officers to hostile fire during 2019 – the greatest amount due to gunfire in a single year in our state since 2009,” Alabama Attorney General Steve Marshall said.
Two Alabama law officers died in the line of duty in all of 2018, according to the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which tracks such deaths nationwide.
One officer was killed in the line of duty in each of 2016 and 2017.