Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Robert Dale accidentally shot himself while serving a search warrant. Officer Dale who was normally on helicopter flight assignments, but due to bad weather, was assisting the fugitive squad. While serving a warrant to a man they thought was harboring a fugitive; he was leaning inside the opening with the 9 mm weapon in his right hand and his flashlight in his left when he bumped the hammer against the door jamb, causing it to discharge. The bullet hit him in the left side of the chest, fatally wounding him. The fugitive was found in another apartment, and five men were arrested for obstructing an officer. Officer Dale was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 3 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-24605224- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Robert. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
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 Dale gave the Atlanta Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta 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
Robert Michael Dale served in the Army (1970â1973) before joining law enforcement.
Officer Robert Michael Dale 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 GA, 263 of 903 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 29.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.9 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Atlanta Police Department, 29 of 88 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 33% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Michael Dale's cause is highlighted.
How Robert Michael Dale Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Michael Dale is highlighted in Apr.
Others Who Wore This Badge
87 officers from Atlanta Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
