Number of justifiable homicides U.S. 2007-2021

In 2021, law enforcement officers committed 168 justifiable homicides in the United States. A justifiable homicide is defined as the killing of a felon during the commission of a felony.

What is homicide?

Homicide occurs when one person kills another; however it is not exactly the same as murder. It may or may not be considered criminal. Legal examples include a person killing an intruder in their home or capital punishment. There are different types of homicide, which includes murder and manslaughter.

Homicide trends in the United States

In the United States in 2020, California had the highest number of homicides, followed by Texas, Florida, Illinois, and Pennsylvania. However, St. Louis, Missouri was the U.S. city with the highest homicide rate. Overall, the United States has had a much higher rate of homicide in the past years when compared to their neighbor, Canada. That same year, murders with one victim and one offender were the most common in the United States.