End of Watch: 05/15/1969
Agency: Seattle Police Department
County: King County
On May 15, 1969, at about 3:35AM, Seattle Police Sergeant Robert D. Ward was killed in the line of duty. Sergeant Ward, Officer Pankey, and Officer Greiner were patrolling in Sergeant Ward’s vehicle. Upon hearing a vehicle pursuit, they proceeded into the area. When Sergeant Ward saw the suspect vehicle approaching, he activated his emergency lights. Suddenly, the suspect vehicle swerved into the patrol car’s lane and the vehicles collided head on in the 1000 block of 1st Avenue South. The two passenger officers were severely injured, as was the passenger of the suspect vehicle. The driver of the suspect vehicle was killed. Sergeant Robert D. Ward was taken to Harborview County Hospital, where he was pronounced dead forty minutes later. He was survived by three children.