On a spring afternoon in Arlington, Virginia, on April 15, 1977, Police Officer John Whiteoak Buckley, a 26-year-old White / Caucasian male, was nearing the end of his shift. Having just left traffic court, he was on his way home when a call came over the radio about a bank robbery in progress at the intersection of South Glebe Road and Columbia Pike. Without hesitation, he was the first officer to arrive at the scene.
As Officer Buckley approached the bank, he encountered a suspect exiting the building and attempted to apprehend him. In a tragic turn of events, a second individual approached him from behind and fatally shot him. John Whiteoak Buckley had served with the Arlington County Police Department for nearly five years and was survived by his expectant wife.
In the investigation that followed, law enforcement was able to identify and arrest the getaway driver involved in the bank robbery. This individual was subsequently sentenced to two years in prison for their role in the crime. However, the person responsible for shooting and killing Officer Buckley was never apprehended. Despite the Arlington County Police Department having a suspect in mind, there was not enough evidence to move forward with a prosecution, and the case has remained unsolved for decades.
