TUCSON, Ariz. – The Tucson Police Department sadly announced the death of Officer Adam Buckner. He was struck and killed in a vehicle crash while responding to a call for service late in the evening on Easter Sunday, March 31.
“He always wanted to help people, and it was reflected in his dedication as a recruit, and it was reflected in his dedication on the street,” said Max Brooks, Buckner’s former academy instructor for the New Orleans Police Department, where he worked prior to a lateral move to Tucson, reported KOLD.
“He was one of the most dedicated recruits that came through there, and he took everything to heart. Everything that he could learn and everything that he could do to do a better job he was gung-ho about,” Brooks said. “If there was something that he felt like he needed advice on, he’d asked. He didn’t try to step on or step over people. He really was a team player.”
The Officer Down Memorial Page provided the following details in tribute to Buckner:
Around 10:00 p.m., Officer Buckner was traveling north on Campbell Avenue in Tucson with emergency lights and sirens activated. As he went through the green light at the intersection at East 6th Street, a vehicle failed to yield and turned into his patrol car.
He was transported to Banner University Medical Center where he succumbed to his injuries.
Officer Buckner had served with the Tucson Police Department for over two years and previously served with the New Orleans Police Department (Louisiana) for four years. He was survived by his wife, mother, brothers, and sisters.
Tucson Fraternal Order of Police Lodge One president Paul Sheldon said, “The evidence that he was truly an exemplary Officer and person is clear. For him to already be assigned as a Lead Patrol Officer shows that he had all the tools to go as far as he wanted within this profession.”
“He answered the ultimate call in his faithful service to the Tucson community. He was a Lodge 1 member and we will ensure his sacrifice is never forgotten,” Sheldon concluded.
