Officer Richard F. Giguere

Richard F. Giguere

Officer Richard Giguere and Officer Alfred Jackson were killed when the police helicopter they were in crashed while returning from a false burglary-in-progress call.

Shortly before 2 p.m., the helicopter that carried both officers developed engine trouble. Officer Jackson attempted to "auto-rotate" the craft to perform a less-harmful landing. This technique failed and the helicopter crashed on the 700 block of Yuma street in southeast Washington, causing the fuel inside the gas tanks to ignite and setting the wreckage aflame.

Bystanders tried to pull the officers from the flames, but could only succeed in grabbing one of the two. Officer Giguere was the first member of the helicopter branch to lose his life in the line of duty, dying before the ambulance made it to the hospital. Officer Jackson died later that same day in the hospital. No civilians were injured.

Officer Giguere served with the Metropolitan Police Department for nine years. He had also served with the U.S. Air Force as a security police officer.

He was survived by his wife and three children.