Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Tex Richards was shot and killed while assisting fellow officers with a man who had barricaded himself in his home at the intersection of North Avenue and Williams Street near the Georgia Tech campus. Officers had gone to the suspect's home to investigate a hit-and-run accident after a motorist complained that he backed into his car and left the scene. The suspect met them at his front door with a shotgun and refused to come out. At 3:00 p.m., when the officers attempted to dislodge him with teargas, he opened fire, killing Officer Richards and wounding three other officers. The officers returned fire and killed the man. Officer Richards had served with the Atlanta Police Department for 25 years and would have retired in two months.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, two daughters, two brothers, a sister, and five grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-GA-DB8EAFCC- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
25 years. You could have gone home.
Officer Richards gave the Atlanta Police Department 25 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Atlanta community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Richards.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Wilmer M. Richards is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In GA, 549 of 905 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.7% of this state's fallen. That is 60.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Atlanta Police Department, 58 of 88 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 65.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wilmer M. Richards's cause is highlighted.
How Wilmer M. Richards Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Wilmer M. Richards is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Wilmer M. Richards was killed by shotgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
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