In the small town of Camp Hill, Alabama, the holiday season of 1968 was tragically marked by violence and loss. On Friday, December 20th, Officer Larry Neal Stone, a White/Caucasian male, was on duty, responding to a report of public drunkenness. While attempting to make an arrest, the situation escalated in a sudden and fatal manner.
As Officer Stone was taking the man into custody, the man's 44-year-old wife intervened, producing a. 22 caliber handgun. Without warning, she opened fire, striking Officer Stone. In the same burst of violence, another officer on the scene was also hit and critically wounded. The sudden eruption of gunfire shattered the peace of the day and left two officers down.
Immediate assistance was rendered, but Officer Stone's injuries proved to be fatal. He was survived by his wife and three children. The woman who fired the shots was promptly arrested at the scene. The Camp Hill Police Department was left to mourn the loss of one of its own, a stark reminder of the dangers faced by law enforcement officers in the line of duty.
