Richard Radetich
Agency patch
Officer

Richard Radetich

San Francisco Police Department — San Francisco, CA
Felonious
End of Watch June 19, 1970
Age 25
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Badge 703
The Vigil Panel 235 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Richard Radetich was shot and killed when he was ambushed while writing a traffic citation at the 600 block of Waller Street in San Francisco. He was working an overtime traffic detail and had stopped to issue a ticket for a vehicle without registration tags. As he was writing the ticket at 5:25 a.m., an unrelated suspect approached his vehicle and opened fire through the closed driver's side window. A suspect in the killing was an ex-convict who was extradited from Ohio. However, the charges were dropped due to a lack of evidence in 1971. In his final act of service, Officer Radetich's organs were donated. Officer Radetich had served with the San Francisco Police Department for 4 years and was an Explorer Scout Cadet before becoming a police officer. He is survived by his wife and 8-month-old daughter. His father was a retired law enforcement officer.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and 8-month-old daughter.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Radetich gave the San Francisco Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Francisco community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Radetich.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location San Francisco, CA
Platform Identity sfpd.sf.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 19, 1970
Tour of Duty 4 yrs
Age 25
Badge Number 703
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Handgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Richard is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,117 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1970, 138 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 29th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Richard was 25. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Richard had served 4 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

June holds 8.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

San Francisco Police Department has 106 officers remembered here, Richard among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Officer Richard Radetich

San Francisco Police Department · End of Watch June 19, 1970

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 26-E

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