A new study finds fatal police shootings have reached their highest level in a decade, yet only a minimal percentage of those slayings result in criminal charges being filed against officers.

Yahoo News reports researchers indicated a raised level of scrutiny in such instances have been driven by public outrage over the much publicized police killings of black men, such as Michael Brown and Eric Garner in Missouri and New York, respectively. In addition, some police departments now require officers to wear body cameras, and bystanders have recorded videos of deadly police interactions, together contributing to the uptick in interest.

In all, a dozen officers have been charged with either murder of manslaughter resulting from shootings in 2015, more than twice the average of five over a nine-year period commencing in 2005.

Much of the research was composed by Bowling Green State University criminology professor Philip Stinson, who extensively combed through court records and media reports as part of his research. The figures do not include the six Baltimore officers currently facing charges up to manslaughter in connection with the death of Freddie Gray.

Stinson added, thus far, none of the officers charged this year have been convicted, and over the last decade, only 1 in 4 officers has been found guilty.

Overall, statistics composed by the Washington Post shows 796 people have died in police shootings this year, and a similar database maintained by The Guardian concludes there have been 927 deaths from all cases involving police.

"Cops are going to have a massive incentive to, when in doubt, punch first, hit first, shoot first, and ask questions later," said Lawrence Grandpre of the Baltimore-based think tank Leaders of a Beautiful Struggle, which organized protests in the wake of the Gray incident.

Many of the deadly incidents also helped spark the Black Lives Matter movement that is continuing to grow in cities across the country.