In a May 19 press release supporting the Back the Blue Act of 2017, Sen. Thom Tillis of North Carolina said, “Last year was one of the deadliest years ever for law enforcement officers.”
Our ruling
Sen. Thom Tillis, a North Carolina Republican, said a new pro-police law is needed because 2016 “was one of the deadliest years ever for law enforcement officers.”
That’s wrong. In fact, 2016 saw a below-average number and rate of officer deaths compared to the last half-century. The 66 officers killed in 2016 pales in comparison to the 1970s and 1980s, and wasn’t much different from the typical year in the 1990s, either.
We rate this claim False.
To read the full fact check, go to politifact.com.