Aiken Department of Public Safety, South Carolina
End of Watch: Wednesday, December 21, 2011
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 12 years
Badge Number: 342
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: December 20, 2011
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Master Public Safety Officer Scotty Richardson was shot and killed after he and another officer stopped a suspicious vehicle on Brandt Court, near Camellia Street, shortly before 9:00 pm.
Officers had been searching for the vehicle in relation to an incident earlier in the evening. After the stop, one of the occupants immediately opened fire, fatally wounding Officer Richardson and striking the other officer in the chest. The second officer's vest stopped the round. Officer Richardson was transported to Georgia Health Sciences University Hospital where he died early the following morning.
Several suspects were arrested in connection with Officer Richardson's murder. In January 2015 one subject plead guilty to Officer Richardson's murder and was sentenced to life with no parole.
Officer Richardson had served with the Aiken Department of Public Safety for 12 years. He is survived by his wife and three young children.