Forest Acres Police Department, South Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, February 21, 1974
Age: 26
Tour of Duty: 1 year, 5 months
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: February 21, 1974
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Patrolman Richey Finch was shot and killed during a traffic stop at 1:30 a.m. on Interstate 20 near State Highway 321. During the stop, one of the occupants ran to the patrol car and opened fire, killing Patrolman Finch. After the shooting, the three suspects fled and began to hitchhike on I-20.
Deputy Ernest Potter and his partner of the Kershaw County Sheriff's Department stopped the suspects several hours later when they observed them hitchhiking. As the deputies stepped out of their patrol car, one of the men opened fire, killing Deputy Potter and wounding his partner.
One suspect, 19, turned himself in to officers in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, two weeks later. He was charged with the murder of Patrolman Finch, Deputy Potter, and the attempted murder of Deputy Potter's partner. A week earlier, another suspect, 19, turned himself in to the Richland County Sheriff's Department. He was charged with the shootings of the three officers. The third suspect, 24, surrendered to Columbia officers three weeks after the shootings.
On June 17, 1975, the older suspect was convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to life plus 99 years. As of 2020, he was in prison. The other two were convicted of accessory to murder and sentenced to 10 years each.
Patrolman Finch was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Forest Acres Police Department for over one year. He was survived by his wife, parents, sister, and two brothers.