Deadly police ambush attacks on the rise in 2016
The deadly shootings of two Des Moines police officers are only a reminder of a year marred by ambush attacks on law enforcement.
In 2016, ambush attacks have become a sad reality and danger for those who serve in uniform on American streets.
The National Law Enforcement Memorial says officer fatalities are up 11 percent, and the fatal shooting of police officers is up nearly 50 percent from this point last year.
VIDEO: Person of interest questioned in 'ambush' shooting of deputy constable
WATCH: Son of Deputy Clopton talks about his father's shooting
Harris County Deputy Constable Alden Clopton was shot several times from behind on April 13 as he assisted in a traffic stop near Texas Southern University.
Investigators said Clopton survived because he was wearing a protective vest during the ambush.
The person who shot Clopton is still on the run, and a reward is being offered for his arrest.
VIDEO: Reward up to $20K in Harris Co. deputy 'ambush' shooting case
PHOTOS: Deputy shot in "ambush" attack
Then, in July, two ambush attacks on officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge, Louisiana killed a total of eight officers and injured 14 people.
In Dallas, hundreds had gathered to protest peaceably the police shootings of two black men at the hands of police.
VIDEO: Faces of victims in deadly Dallas police ambush
VIDEO: Fellow officer remembers fallen DART Officer Brent Thompson
Demonstrators were protesting the deaths of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile when gunfire rang out around 8:45pm on July 7.
A sniper who opened fire on police from the inside of a parking garage was later killed by an explosive device attached to a bomb robot.
In Baton Rouge, a former Marine dressed in black and carried large quantities of ammunition in his ambush on police, killing three officers. Four other officers were injured in the attack.
Investigators say surveillance footage showed the attacker's tactical movements which indicated former military training.
VIDEO: Gunman was seeking out 6 'ambushed' Baton Rouge officers
PHOTOS: Baton Rouge police shooting
In between the deadly shootings in Dallas and Baton Rouge, a man was accused of using 911 to draw out an officer in an ambush attack in Georgia. Fortunately, Officer Randall Hancock survived the shooting.
The "ambush-style attack" on two Des Moines-area police officers is still under investigation, and a motive is not known.
VIDEO: Shooter kills 2 Iowa officers in 'ambush-style' attacks
RAW VIDEO: Police investigate deadly ambush on two officers in Iowa
