The Police Ambush Fact Sheet
A report produced by the International Association of Chiefs of Police – US Department of Justice community Oriented Policing Services – CNA Analysis and Solutions.
The report represents the findings from the FBI and the Law Enforcement Officers Killed and Assaulted (LEOKA). This report was put together to build a knowledge base on the topic of ambush assaults against law enforcement.
Their findings indicated a commonality that defines an ambush:
- Element of surmise
- Concealment of the assailant, their intentions, or weapons
- Suddenness of the attack
- A lack of provocation
The report classifies ambush in two ways:
- Entrapment ambushes are premeditated.
- Spontaneous ambushes – an unprovoked attack without long term planning
The report includes a geographical outline of where the ambushes occur, an analysis of the officers and assailants, and the type of weapon used.