Richard J. Adair

Juneau Police Department — Juneau, AK

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch April 17, 1979

Age 51

Tour of Duty 9 yrs 11 mo

The Vigil Panel 121 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 3

Incident

Officer Richard Adair and Officer Jimmy Kennedy were ambushed while responding to a shots fired call. The officers were dispatched to a weapon call, as the suspect had opened fire without provocation on a neighbor and wounded him as he drove out of his driveway. The wounded driver drove down a hill, passed out and wrecked, prompting neighbors to call police. As the officers pulled up near the suspect's home, he fired on both with a rifle from a second floor window, striking them both in the head and killing them instantly. A back-up officer, a responding detective, was also shot and wounded. The chief of police then arrived and contained the scene while calling for backup from Alaska State Troopers. Before the troopers arrived, the suspect committed suicide. Officer Adair had served with the Juneau Police Department for just under 10 years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-AK-944F3F6B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Richard. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw. One record, 2 gates. Richard is one person.

This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.

Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Adair gave the Juneau Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Juneau community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Adair.

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

Agency

Department Juneau Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Juneau, AK

Platform Identity jpd.juneau.ak.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 17, 1979

Tour of Duty 9 yrs 11 mo

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Rifle

Military Service

Richard J. Adair served in the the United States military (1946â1948) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Officer Richard J. Adair is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,784 officers honored here.

In AK, 35 of 50 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70% of this state's fallen. That is 70 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Juneau Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Juneau Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Felonious

AK — Statewide

of 50 officers

70% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,784 officers

0% Felonious