Lieutenant Joseph Oscar "J.O." Richard, Jr.

Joseph Oscar "J.O." Richard, Jr.

Lieutenant J.O. Richard died after contracting Hepatitis C as the result of a blood transfusion received after he was shot in the line of duty on September 12th, 1973.

He and another officer had responded to two false alarms at a local bank at the intersection of N Union Street and E Landry Street. Upon responding to a third alarm that morning they encountered two robbery suspects who were fleeing the building. The subjects opened fire on the officers, shooting Lieutenant Richard five times.

The wounds and complications caused one of his legs to be amputated above the knee and he required 29 pints of blood, which was unscreened. Some of the blood he received was tainted with Hepatitis C, which he contracted. His health continued to deteriorate and he died as a result of the illness on September 28th, 2010.

Lieutenant Richard is survived by his wife and two children.