Roll of Honor
Robert Russell Hardesty
Incident
Location: Virginia Incident Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2005
Special Agent Robert Hardesty succumbed to injuries suffered eight days earlier during a training exercise at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia. Agent Hardesty fell 20 feet off an airplane wing during an FBI SWAT team training exercise while he was practicing aircraft entry techniques. He was transported to Inova Fairfax Hospital in Falls Church, Virginia, where he remained until he died from complications as a result of being paralyzed in the fall.
Agent Hardesty had served with the Federal Bureau of Investigation for three years and was assigned to a resident agency in Bloomington, Illinois. He had previously served with the Indiana State Excise Police for six years and the Porter County, Indiana, Sheriff's Department for seven years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, and two sisters.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-FED-BCF824A5- Stewardship
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- 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.
Special Agent Hardesty gave the United States Department of Justice 16 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Special Agent Hardesty.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Special Agent Robert Russell Hardesty 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 DC, 454 of 1,419 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation, 30 of 89 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Russell Hardesty's cause is highlighted.
How Robert Russell Hardesty Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Russell Hardesty is highlighted in Jun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
88 officers from United States Department of Justice - Federal Bureau of Investigation are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
