Officer Richard Radetich

Richard Radetich

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.