List of killings by law enforcement officers in the United States, April 2023
This is a list of people reported killed by non-military law enforcement officers in the United States
in April 2023, whether in the line of duty or not, and regardless of reason or method. The listing documents the occurrence of a death, making no implications regarding wrongdoing or justification on the part of the person killed or officer involved. Killings are arranged by date of the incident that caused death. Different death dates, if known, are noted in the description.
The table below lists 32 people.
An FBI agent shot and killed Yang, a 33-year old Asian man, while serving an arrest warrant for him at a home near Dowling and DuPoint avenues in North Minneapolis. According to the FBI, Yang had barricade himself inside the house for several hours and he was holding a firearm when he later emerged from the home.[4][5]
Lake County Sheriff's deputies were performing a welfare check on Ochs at a home in Saint Ignatius. When they arrived Ochs emerged wielding a large Bowie knife and charged at the officers. The officers shot and killed Ochs. The Montana Department of Criminal Investigation is reviewing the shooting.[6][7]
An officer driving in downtown Fort Wayne struck Najdeski while turning a corner while Najdeski crossed the street. The officer involved had been involved in four previous crashes in a squad car, one of which resulted in a suspension.[8]
Blackfoot police were searching for Zachary Pace in connection to an eluding, kidnapping, and aggravated assault case. After locating Pace's vehicle at a hotel, Pace lead police in a vehicle chase. The Bingham County Sheriff's Department and Fort Hall police joined the chase. Pace crashed his vehicle on Highway 91. As police approached Pace's vehicle, shots were fired and Pace was struck along with two other passengers in Pace's vehicle. Authorities say Pace was armed at the time of the shooting. Pace was taken to a local hospital where he was pronounced dead.[9]
Klimenko was terrorizing a woman with knife inside a Jacksonville home. She escaped through a bathroom window and called police. When the Jacksonville police arrived, they tried to talk Klimenko out of the home with a bullhorn. After that they deployed a K-9 to apprehend Klimenko. After Klimenko appeared to attack the K-9 with the knife, the police shot and killed him.[10]
Police were called to a mall by security, including an off-duty officer. Police restrained Zapata, who fell unconscious and died; his death was later ruled a homicide.[11]
Perry, with a history of DV offenses, was angry about his divorce and felt he was 'pushed around' by police. During a traffic stop, he shot and killed 2 officers. He then died in a shoot out with police.[16]
After reports of shot fired, police responded to the area where Spencer was. Spencer, with a history of mental illness, was found with a firearm that he pointed at police. They shot and killed him.[17]
Torrez was threatening residents with a 3 inch knife when police responded. They used non-lethal force and commanded Torrez to drop the weapon. He refused and was shot.[19]
The family of a highly intoxicated man called police requesting he be taken to a hospital and warned he is combative when intoxicated. When the officers made contact, the male was holding a pellet gun, began charging at the officers and pointing it and was shot.[21]
Officers witnessed a man leaving a store quickly and found out it had just been robbed. When they made contact the man had a firearm and refused to comply. He was shot.[22]
A man wanted for murder was hiding out in a truck yard when police attempted to apprehend him. He then attacked a female officer and attempted to wrestle her gun away from her and punched her in the face. She shot the suspect.[23]
Police were responding to a domestic violence call at a house around 11:30 p.m., but instead arrived at a house diagonally across the street. Police knocked on the door and announced "Farmington Police" three times, but not loudly. The officers realized they had the wrong address and began backing away from the house, one joking about the mistake. When the officers were about 20 feet away, Dotson, the homeowner, opened the screen door with a handgun held in his right hand beside his waist and the officers shot him several times. Dotson's wife, not initially realizing the people outside her home were police, fired at the officers from the same doorway, allegedly with Dotson's handgun, but put the gun down after realizing they were in fact police officers. Dotson died at the scene. His wife and the police officers were not injured.[24]
Donald and an off-duty sheriff's deputy got into an argument at a church, where the deputy was volunteering as a security guard. According to authorities, the deputy chased Donald into the parking lot before shooting him in the back. The deputy was charged with second-degree murder.[25]
Harris was wanted for grand theft auto and police went on a chase with him. He fled the vehicle and went into a Burlington Coat Factory where he fire off at least one round at officers. They returned fire, killing him.[26]
Michael Rogel called 911 and stated he belied "people were coming to kill him." Rogel suffered from paranoid schizophrenia which may have been related. When police officers approached his vehicle, Rogel allegedly produced a firearm which led to police shooting him.[28]
A man drove through a border patrol checkpoint and went on an hour long high speed chase with border patrol. After spike strips were deployed, he exited his vehicle with a club and began a foot chase. He attempted to hit agents with the club numerous times and used a shirt to block the taser attempts by agents. After knocking an agent to the ground, he hit them twice before being shot.[30]
Cornwell was attempting to break into a woman's residence through her window using his firearm. When police told him to drop his weapon, he refused to comply, shooting a round into the air, and was shot. [31]
Police were called to the Ford Stamping Plant in Wayne, Michigan. When the officers arrived, Polk allegedly pointed a gun at them, which caused an officer to shoot Polk. Polk was taken to a hospital where he later died.[33]