Roll of Honor
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
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-DC-D06AA0EA- 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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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
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Richard F. Giguere served in the the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Officer Richard F. Giguere is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 32 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Metropolitan Police Department, 48 of 131 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 36.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard F. Giguere's cause is highlighted.
How Richard F. Giguere Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Richard F. Giguere is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Military Service
Richard F. Giguere served in the United States military before joining law enforcement.
Visit Richard F. Giguere’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
130 officers from Metropolitan Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
