In the late summer of 1989, a senseless act of violence cut short the life of a dedicated public servant in Florence, South Carolina. Lieutenant Richard Walters Gould, a 35-year-old male officer with the Florence Police Department, was on duty at the front desk of the police station located in the City-County Complex on August 22nd. He had been a respected member of the force for over eleven years, known for his commitment to the community he served.
On that tragic afternoon, a man
entered the police station and requested to speak with the watch commander. Lieutenant Gould escorted the individual to his office to assist him. After a conversation that lasted only a few minutes, the man unexpectedly drew a. 38 caliber revolver and fired a single, fatal shot to Lieutenant Gould's head. The suddenness and brutality of the act left no time for reaction or defense.
Immediately following the shooting, the assailant fled the building. His flight was short-lived, however, as he turned the gun on himself, committing suicide just outside the complex. The investigation that followed revealed the shooter was a mentally ill individual with a history of erratic behavior. Due to the perpetrator's suicide, there were no arrests made or a trial to be held in the wake of this devastating event that shook the Florence community and left a profound void in the local police department.
