In the spring of 1970, a sense of duty and a belief in his ability to de-escalate a tense situation led to the tragic death of a young police officer in Salem, Virginia. Patrolman William Howard Thompson, a 30-year-old man and a respected seven-year veteran of the Salem Police Department, lost his life on April 5, 1970. He was just about to end his shift when a call came in about a suspect who had barricaded himself inside his house.
Patrolman Thompson had encountered the individual earli
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