California Highway Patrol, California
End of Watch: Monday, July 11, 1994
Age: 33
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 12788
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: July 11, 1994
Weapon Used: Shotgun
Suspect Info: Released in 2006
Officer Richard Maxwell was shot and killed as he made a traffic stop in front of the suspect's house.
As he was waiting for backup to arrive, the suspect and his father began attacking him. The father ran into the open garage to retrieve a shotgun, and while doing so, the suspect shot Officer Maxwell in the face and, as he sat on the driveway, was shot in the throat. CPR was administered, but he later died at a local hospital.
The father was sentenced to life, and the son, who was 16 years old at the time, was released after serving only a short jail sentence. On May 9th, 2006, the suspect was convicted of manslaughter during a retrial. He was sentenced to time served and released.
Officer Maxwell had served with the California Highway Patrol for five years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, sister, brother, and grandmother.
He is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery, Bakersfield, California.