Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Richard Buckner was killed in an on-duty automobile accident on Highway 31 and the Route 65 exit while responding to an emergency call at 3:30 am. As he crested a small hill, another car turned in front of his patrol car, causing him to take evasive action. His patrol car left the roadway and struck a utility pole. Officer Buckner had served with the Clanton Police Department for five years and also served with the Alabama Department of Corrections.
Survivors
He is survived by his three children and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-68359C0F- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Buckner gave the Clanton Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Clanton community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Buckner.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Richard H. Buckner is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In AL, 182 of 643 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.3% of this state's fallen. That is 2.7 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard H. Buckner's cause is highlighted.
How Richard H. Buckner Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Richard H. Buckner is highlighted in Jul.