Robert Buitrago

Winston-Salem Police Dept. — Winston-Salem, NC

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch January 15, 1994

Age 23

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Badge 541

The Vigil Panel 140 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 18

Incident

Officer Robert Buitrago was shot and killed while attempting to stop a robbery at a grocery store where he was shopping, despite being unarmed.

The suspect, 38, was apprehended and sentenced to death. As of June 9, 2023, he remains on death row.

Officer Buitrago, who served in the U.S. Marine Corps for 4 years, had served with the Winston-Salem Police Department for only 6 months.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NC-9FE3526E
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 Buitrago served with the Winston-Salem Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Winston-Salem community. 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

Department Winston-Salem Police Dept.

Location Winston-Salem, NC

Platform Identity wpd.forsyth.nc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 15, 1994

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Age 23

Badge Number 541

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Sentenced to death

Military Service

Robert Buitrago served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Robert Buitrago is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NC, 385 of 664 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 58% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Winston-Salem Police Dept., 10 of 19 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 52.6% of this agency's fallen.

Winston-Salem Police Dept.

of 19 officers

52.6% Felonious

NC — Statewide

385

of 664 officers

58% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious