Richard F. Giguere

Metropolitan Police Department — Washington, DC

Veteran → Accident

End of Watch June 6, 1979

Age 38

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Badge 2638

The Vigil Panel 267 · Column 1 · Line 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 130

Incident

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.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Giguere gave the Metropolitan Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Washington community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Metropolitan Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Washington, DC

Platform Identity mpdc.dc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 6, 1979

Tour of Duty 9 yrs

Age 38

Badge Number 2638

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Richard F. Giguere served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Accident

Richard is one of 8,276 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1979, 70 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 48th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Richard was 38. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. Richard had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.