Atlanta Police Department, Georgia
End of Watch Saturday, November 3, 2012
Add to My HeroesRichard Joseph Halford
Police Officers Richard Halford and Shawn Smiley were killed in a helicopter crash while assisting in the search for a missing 9-year-old boy at approximately 10:30 pm.
They were flying low over an area approximately four miles west of downtown when the Hughes OH-6A helicopter suddenly crashed to the ground near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Hamilton E. Holmes Drive. The helicopter exploded after impacting the ground. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the NTSB and FAA.
The boy they were searching for was found safe a short time later.
Officer Halford had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 26 years and had been assigned as a pilot in the Air Unit for 16 years. He is survived by his daughter, parents, brother, and sister.
Bio
- Age 48
- Tour 26 years
- Badge 3788
Incident Details
- Cause Aircraft accident
Related LODD Deaths
Police Officer Shawn Antonio Smiley
Atlanta Police Department, GA
EOW: November 3, 2012
Most Recent Reflection
View all 164 ReflectionsJohn 5:28, 29 - "Do not be amazed at this, for the hour is coming in which all those in the memorial tombs will hear his voice and come out". I pray that everyone can find peace in knowing that we will see this officer as well as many others again in Paradise soon. Until then, please accept my condolences.
A.W. Montgomery
Concerned Citizen
September 17, 2018
Recent LODD Deaths
Police Officer Kyle Olinger
Montgomery County Police Department, MD
EOW: April 18, 2019
Conservation Officer Eugene Wynn, Jr.
Minnesota Department of Natural Resources - Enforcement Division, MN
EOW: April 19, 2019
Deputy Sheriff Justin Richard DeRosier
Cowlitz County Sheriff's Office, WA
EOW: April 14, 2019
Sergeant Steven L. Licon
California Highway Patrol, CA
EOW: April 6, 2019
Deputy Sheriff II Spencer Allen Englett
Forsyth County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: April 4, 2019
Detective Benjamin J. Campbell
Maine State Police, ME
EOW: April 3, 2019
Trooper Gerald Wayne Ellis
Illinois State Police, IL
EOW: March 30, 2019
Trooper Brooke Jones-Story
Illinois State Police, IL
EOW: March 28, 2019
Deputy Sheriff Peter Herrera
El Paso County Sheriff's Office, TX
EOW: March 24, 2019