Michigan Named 2nd Most Violent State in USA: Full US Rankings

A recent study conducted by the DeMayo Law Office reveals that Michigan is one of America's most violent states. Using data from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), they delved into the specifics of violent crimes across the country over a five-year span. The study focused on identifying which violent crimes were the most common in each state, and for Michigan, the results were startling.

Related: Michigan's Prison Population Growth Compared to Rest of US

Michigan's local law enforcement agencies from around the state provided the data at their discretion, offering a detailed snapshot of violent crime trends in the Great Lakes State.

A Deeper Dive: Michigan's Violent Crime Landscape - Instances of Simple Assault

Michigan recorded a total of 608,000 violent crimes over the five-year period analyzed. Simple assault emerged as the dominant crime, far exceeding the rate of other offenses. A simple assault doesn't require physical contact, and someone can be charged with the offense by making someone reasonably fear for their safety.

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Between 2018 and 2022, there were 421,160 reported simple assaults in Michigan.

Instances of Aggravated Assault in Michigan 2018 - 2022

The second most common occurrence of violent crime in Michigan was aggravated assault. This crime is defined as the actions of one individual causing injury to another that requires immediate medical treatment or causes disfigurement, impairment of health, or impairment of the body.

Related: Deadly Drive: This Vehicle Leads Michigan in Fatal Crashes

Between 2018 and 2022, Michigan saw 139,360 cases of aggravated assault.

Instances of Rape in Michigan 2018 - 2022

During the five-year period between 2018 and 2022, there were 21,184 reported cases of rape in Michigan. This heinous crime, fittingly, carries a penalty of up to life in prison, a permanent criminal record as a sex offender, and may also include loss of custody of children, restrictions on where you can live, and a lifetime of denials on job interviews.

Instances of Murder in Michigan 2018 - 2022

Of the 608,000 violent crimes committed in the five years covered by the DeMayo Law Office study, 3,064 of them were murder and non-negligent manslaughter.

These crimes are the 'willful' taking of a life by another and are not to be confused with justifiable homicides, which are next on our list.

Instances of Justifiable Homicide in Michigan 2018 - 2022

Michigan saw 129 instances of justifiable homicide between 2018 and 2022. According to Michigan Legislature MCL - Section 780.972, murder is considered reasonable or justifiable if the individual honestly and reasonably believes that the use of deadly force is necessary to prevent the imminent death of or imminent great bodily harm to himself or herself or another individual.

Related: How Understaffed Are Michigan Prisons? New Research Revealed

Now that you know the specifics and the number of violent crimes studied, let's see how Michigan ranks among the 50 states.