Richard Terrell Gaston

Indiana State Police — Indianapolis, IN

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch March 4, 1999

Age 29

Tour of Duty 2 mo

The Vigil Panel 146 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 45

Incident

Trooper Richard Gaston was killed when his patrol car was struck from behind by a semitrailer while he was conducting a traffic stop on the Indiana Toll Road at milepost 77 in St. Joseph County.

Trooper Gaston, sitting in the driver's seat, was killed instantly, and his field training officer was seriously injured in the accident. After the semitrailer struck their patrol car, it jack-knifed and struck the vehicle that had been stopped, killing a man and a child inside.

The driver of the truck that struck the patrol car was charged with 13 offenses stemming from the accident. The offenses included possession of drug paraphernalia, driving within 72 hours after consumption of cocaine, and a federal weapons charge for possession of a handgun within the cab. In a plea agreement, the driver pleaded guilty to three counts of driving under the influence of a controlled substance, causing death. He served 6½ years of a 14-year sentence and was released from prison in September 2005.

Trooper Gaston was the first of three troopers in 10 months to be killed in the line of duty from the 56th ISP Recruit Academy, which graduated in December 1998. He was a roommate of Trooper Cory Elson, who was killed in the line of duty on April 3, 1999.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-F7094751
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Trooper Gaston served with the Indiana State Police.
Thank you for your service to the people of Indiana, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Indiana State Police

Location Indianapolis, IN

Platform Identity insp.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 4, 1999

Tour of Duty 2 mo

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Military Service

Richard Terrell Gaston served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Trooper Richard Terrell Gaston is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 311 of 503 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Indiana State Police, 21 of 46 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 45.7% of this agency's fallen.

Indiana State Police

of 46 officers

45.7% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious