On the morning of September 25, 1981, Lexington, Tennessee Chief of Police Richard Carrington, 40, was killed in an ambush while responding to a hostage situation at 454 Franklin Street. The assailant, Henry Darnell Plummer, had taken a woman hostage and forced her to call the chief, telling Carrington he intended to kill him. Carrington drove to the scene and spoke with a local judge in an attempt to negotiate a peaceful resolution.

After about an hour of negotiations, Plummer agreed to release the woman in exchange for an unarmed Carrington. To demonstrate he was not armed, Carrington removed his shirt, raised his hands and turned to face Plummer. As he completed that turn a single shot from a .410 gauge shotgun struck him in the chest and killed him almost instantly. Other officers returned fire, wounding Plummer and taking him into custody. Plummer was later convicted of first-degree murder and received a life sentence; he was eventually granted parole. Carrington was a husband and father of three daughters.