Texas leads the U.S. in officer-related deaths in 2020, report finds
HOUSTON โ 2020 was the deadliest year for officer-related deaths, and Texas tops a nationwide list produced by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial and Museum. The organization found officer deaths have increased sharply by 96%, with COVID-19 being the leading cause, according to a news release distributed this week. Texas leads the U.S. in officer fatalities, with 48 in 2020, followed by New York, Florida, Georgia and Louisiana, the release said. Thirteen states did not lose an officer in 2020. โAs the leading authority in line-of-duty deaths, this time of year always reminds us of the sacrifice of law enforcement and the importance of our mission to honor the fallen, tell the story of American law enforcement, and make it safer for those who serve.โ said National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund CEO Marcia Ferranto.
New project to probe Hurricane Maria deaths in Puerto Rico
SAN JUAN U.S. researchers who estimated that nearly 3,000 people died in Puerto Rico in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria are now investigating deaths that might have been missed and could be linked to infrastructure damaged by the Category 4 storm, officials announced Wednesday. The Milken Institute of Public Health at George Washington University received a nearly $1 million contract from the National Institute of Standards and Technology for the investigation. University officials said the project seeks to improve the death certification process and building standards across the U.S. mainland ahead of future storms as part of a collaboration with the University of Puerto Rico and others. Yaritsa Santiago, whose mother died after she was airlifted from Puerto Rico to Miami shortly after Maria struck, praised the upcoming investigation and said she was encouraged that the storm-related deaths will not be in vain. Puerto Ricos government at the time came under heavy criticism for severely undercounting the number of deaths related to Hurricane Maria, which destroyed the power grid and caused more than an estimated $100 billion in damage.