Desmond J. Casey

San Jose Police Department — San Jose, CA

Accident Veteran

End of Watch October 25, 1999

Age 38

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

The Vigil Panel 146 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 12

Incident

Officer Desmond Casey was killed when the helicopter he was piloting crashed at 3:36 pm.

Officer Casey and a mechanic were flying the helicopter to the San Jose International Airport after receiving mechanical work. During the flight, the rear of the helicopter experienced mechanical failure, causing it to spin out of control. Officer Casey was able to crash-land the helicopter in an empty spot on the I 880 and The Alameda, avoiding a worse disaster. Both he and the mechanic were killed in the crash.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-CA-5A00CC50
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 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.
Police Officer Casey gave the San Jose Police Department 10 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Jose 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

Department San Jose Police Department

Location San Jose, CA

Platform Identity sjpd.santaclara.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 25, 1999

Tour of Duty 10 yrs

Age 38

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Desmond J. Casey served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Desmond J. Casey 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 CA, 719 of 1,837 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 39.1% of this state's fallen. That is 8.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At San Jose Police Department, 5 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 38.5% of this agency's fallen.

San Jose Police Department

of 13 officers

38.5% Accident

CA — Statewide

719

of 1,837 officers

39.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident