Officer Down

Police Officer Shawn A. Smiley
Atlanta George Police Department
End of Watch: Saturday, November 3, 2012
Age: 40
Tour: 2 years
Badge # 6635

Police Officer Richard J. Halford
Atlanta Georgia Police Department
End of Watch: Saturday, November 3, 2012
Age: 48
Tour: 26 years
Badge # 3788

Police Officers Shawn Smiley and Richard Halford were killed in a helicopter crash while assisting in the search for a missing 9-year-old boy at approximately 10:30 pm.

They were flying low over an area approximately four miles west of downtown when the Hughes OH-6A helicopter suddenly crashed to the ground near the intersection of Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Hamilton E. Holmes Drive. The helicopter exploded after impacting the ground. The cause of the crash is under investigation by the NTSB and FAA.

The boy they were searching for was found safe a short time later.

Officer Smiley had served with the Atlanta Police Department for two years and had been assigned as a tactical flight officer in the Air Unit for one year. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Officer Halford had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 26 years and had been assigned as a pilot in the Air Unit for 16 years. He is survived by his daughter.

Rest in Peace.…We Got The Watch

Day is done, Gone the sun, From the lake, From the hills, From the sky. All is well, Safely rest, God is nigh.