Patrolman Walter J. Rouse

I felt like I needed to write this reflection because even though I am not or was not an officer I was mesmerized by a man me and a friend of mine came to talk with in a restaurant outside Fayetteville NC 2 years ago. He was an older man I would put in his late 70’s maybe early 80’s. He told us a story of a officer that was shot and killed in Goldsboro 50 years ago. The officers pulled a car that had just robbed a holiday Inn and had made off with about 350.00. These officers pulled this vehicle and officer Rouse was driving the police cruiser. He left the vehicle to approach the robbers car and when he did one of the suspects exited the car and shot Officer Rouse with a shotgun at almost point blank range. This man told us that Officer Rouse made it back to the police car and they called for help before officer Rouse died. Rouses partner emptied his revolver into the vehicle but the bullets barely penetrated the thick Steel of the suspects vehicle. He said Rouse’s partner tried to pry Rouses weapon out of his hand in the front seat of the cruiser but Rouse had a death grip on his revolver. This man told us that the suspects approached the police cruiser and shot Rouses partner in the stomach with the same shotgun and fled leaving both officers for Dead. It was a very cold February night and this man told us that Rouses partner would have bled to death but because it was so bitterly cold that night, the blood coagulated and Rouses partner did not bleed out. This man said the officers knew these suspects and they killed officer Rouse over 350.00. This Man we spoke to was Officer Rouses Partner. This man told us he had relived that night everyday for the last 50 years. His name escapes me but he went back to his table to finish his lunch. My buddy and I we’re skeptical of this mans story so I approached their table and inquired to the wife with him sitting there and she confirmed the entire chain of events. Even to add that Officer Rouses partner, her husband was back to work within 5 months. These two men,one I met and I will eventually meet shared a moment in time that will Bond them forever. God Bless our men in Uniform and God Bless America

Emmett Gooch
No Relationship. Truth of that night

February 25, 2021