Prince George's County Police Department, Maryland
End of Watch: Thursday, March 21, 1968
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: March 21, 1968
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Private John Leatherbury was killed in a police helicopter accident while assisting officers who were searching a bank building that had been found with an open door.
The Hughes 300 helicopter was hovering over the bank when its main rotor blades struck power lines and crashed onto a parking deck at Iverson Mall. Private Leatherbury and the civilian pilot were both killed instantly.
The police department was leasing the helicopter for a three week period as it evaluated whether or not to start a helicopter unit.