Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Jack Buffa and Officer Mark Radden were shot and killed in a case of mistaken identity. Officer Buffa and his partner, who were in plainclothes, were performing a drug raid at a home at 537 E. Euclid around 6 pm. At the same time as the raid, Officer Radden and his partner, also in plainclothes, were responding to reports of a shooting at the same home. Neither pair of officers knew the other was at the home and when they encountered each other shots were exchanged. Officer Radden and Officer Buffa were both fatally wounded. Officer Buffa had served with the Detroit Police Department for 13 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, parents, brother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-CD4A1E49- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Giacomo is one person.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Buffa gave the Detroit Police Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Buffa.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Giacomo Buffa served in the U.S. Army (1968â1970) before joining law enforcement.
Police Officer Giacomo Buffa is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In MI, 229 of 719 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.8% of this state's fallen. That is 31.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Detroit Police Department, 58 of 250 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Giacomo Buffa's cause is highlighted.
How Giacomo Buffa Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Giacomo Buffa is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Military Service
Giacomo Buffa served in the U.S. Army (1968–1970) before joining law enforcement.
Visit Giacomo Buffa’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
249 officers from Detroit Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
