San Jose Police Department, California
End of Watch: Monday, October 25, 1999
Age: 38
Tour of Duty: 10 years
Badge Number: 2705
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: October 25, 1999
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Officer Desmond Casey was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed at 3:36 pm.
Officer Casey and a mechanic were flying the helicopter to the San Jose International Airport after receiving mechanical work. During the flight, the rear of the helicopter experienced mechanical failure, causing it to spin out of control. Officer Casey was able to crash-land the helicopter in an empty spot on the I 880 and The Alameda, avoiding a worse disaster. Both he and the mechanic were killed in the crash.
Officer Casey was a California National Guard veteran and had served with the San Jose Police Department for ten years. He was survived by his parents and fiancee.