The death of Dallas cop Rogelio Santander makes him the 24th officer killed in the line of duty in 2018, CBS News reported.
The report highlights an unsettling rise in the number of officers who have died in the line of duty. This time last year there had been 14 reported deaths, which rose to 129 by the end of the year.
Santander was fatally shot Tuesday afternoon while assisting with the arrest of 29-year-old Armando Juarez on an outstanding warrant.
The suspect opened fire, wounding Santander, his partner Crystal Almeida and a Home Depot loss prevention officer, both who are reportedly in critical condition.
Santander died Wednesday morning after being taken off life support, ABC affiliate WFAA noted.
Juarez escaped the scene but was arrested several hours later after being spotted by officers during an intensive manhunt.
He is being detained at Lew Sterrett jail on charges of capital murder and aggravated assault of a peace officer.
The incident was a stark reminder to police that their lives were on the line every day while wearing the badge.
"We have to do this all over again for one of our brothers in blue for such a senseless act," said George Aranda, president of the Dallas chapter of the National Latino Law Enforcement Organization, according to The Dallas News.
He was referring to an incident less than two years ago in which five officers from the Dallas Police Department were killed in an ambush after a downtown Dallas protest.
Nine others were injured in the incident.
"We have the entire department still grieving," Aranda said.
A report by CNN said at least one officer has been shot to death every week this year.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund has gathered data reflecting a year-by-year breakdown of all law enforcement deaths that have occurred from 1791 to 2017, which totaled 21,541.
While the numbers have fluctuated over the years, they have remained in the hundreds for decades.
The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund found that a total of 1,511 law enforcement officers died in the line of duty during the past 10 years.
In 2016, there were 58,627 assaults against officers which resulted in 16,677 injuries.
"The tragic deaths ... (are) a stark reminder of the dangers our law enforcement professionals face each and every day while protecting and serving our communities," said Craig Floyd with the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, per CNN.
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