Roll of Honor
Incident
Marshal Richardson was shot and killed when he responded to a disturbance involving a local pastor. As he spoke with the pastor the man's two sons approached the marshal from behind and one of them shot him several times in the back.
The suspect was captured the next day and taken to a tree near the scene of the crime and hanged.
Marshal Richardson had been with the agency for 1 year. At the time of his murder, Marshal Richardson had only 38 days left to serve as town marshal.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MS-1E7C5289- 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
You barely got started.
Town Marshal Richardson gave the Gulfport Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Gulfport community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Town Marshal Richardson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Town Marshal Walter E. Richardson 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 MS, 242 of 349 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 69.3% of this state's fallen. That is 15.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
At Gulfport Police Department, 6 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter E. Richardson's cause is highlighted.
How Walter E. Richardson Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Walter E. Richardson is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths.
Others Who Wore This Badge
7 officers from Gulfport Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
