SAN DIEGO — After a San Diego Police sergeant was shot overnight in 4S Ranch, Police Chief David Nisleit says he is "fed up" with violence towards law enforcement.
"We've not seen this kind of violence towards law enforcement in my 35 year career that I can remember," said the Chief just hours after the shooting.
Data obtained by ABC 10News backs up Chief Nisleit's claim.
Since December 2022, there have been three incidents where San Diego Police officers were shot, plus a K-9 police officer shot and killed in the line of duty.
There have been four other incidents in 2023 when officers were shot at, but not hit.
It is a trend being seen nationwide.
According to the National Fraternal Order of Police, 355 law enforcement officers have been shot in the line of duty in 2023, a roughly 49% increase since 2018.
The top five states with the most officers shot in 2023 are:
- Texas - 35 officers
- Pennsylvania - 23 officers
- California and Tennessee - 20
- Georgia - 16
"There is one police officer shot every 22 hours," said Joe Gamaldi, the National Vice President and a police officer in Houston, TX.
He has a hard time putting the stress he says officers are under into words.
WWe are constantly messaging to our officers that we have to be extra vigilant, extra careful, make sure we're backing each other up on calls, make sure we have a head on a swivel. Because we don't know where the next attack is coming from," Gamaldi said, when asked what it is like to be in the line of duty these days.
Chief Nisleit doubled down on his belief that the violence towards police is a result of the justice system not holding criminals accountable.
