Tony Vian Radulescu
Agency patch
Trooper

Tony Vian Radulescu

Washington State Patrol — Olympia, WA
Veteran → Felonious
End of Watch February 23, 2012
Age 44
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
The Vigil Panel 161 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Trooper Tony Radulescu was shot and killed while making a traffic stop on a driver of a pickup truck on State Route 16, at Anderson Hill Road, in Gorst, shortly before 1:00 am.

He had radioed in his location along with the pickup truck's license plate and description to dispatchers. Dispatchers were unable to contact him again and a Kitsap County sheriff's deputy was sent to check on his status. The deputy discovered him laying near his patrol car suffering from a gunshot wound. He was transported to St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma where he was pronounced dead.

It was later determined that he had conducted a passenger side approach of the pickup truck. The driver, a convicted felon, had told his female passenger to lean her seat back, and as Trooper Radulescu came to the window the driver leaned over and shot him.

The vehicle that Trooper Radulescu had stopped was found abandoned on a country road approximately three hours later. A SWAT team was deployed to the registered owner's home and, as they approached, the suspect committed suicide.

The passenger in the vehicle was sentenced to one year in prison on charges connected to the shooting.

Trooper Radulescu was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Washington State Patrol for 16 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his son.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-5199D458
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. Tony is one person.

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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.
Trooper Radulescu gave the Washington State Patrol 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Washington. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Olympia, WA
Platform Identity whp.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 23, 2012
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
Age 44
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Tony Vian Radulescu served in the U.S. Army (1986–1994) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Tony Vian Radulescu 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In WA, 187 of 340 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55% of this state's fallen. That is 55 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Washington State Patrol, 8 of 34 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 23.5% of this agency's fallen.

Washington State Patrol
8
of 34 officers
23.5% Felonious
WA — Statewide
187
of 340 officers
55% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Tony Vian Radulescu's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Tony Vian Radulescu Compares

Age at Death
44
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
16
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Tony Vian Radulescu is highlighted in Feb.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Tony Vian Radulescu was killed by handgun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Military Service

Tony Vian Radulescu served in the U.S. Army (1986–1994) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Tony Vian Radulescu’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.