Richard C. Wallace
Agency patch
Correctional Officer

Richard C. Wallace

Accident
End of Watch December 30, 1985
The Vigil Panel 130 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Correctional Officer Richard Wallace was killed when a propane tank exploded in a new Montana Department of Corrections administration building that was under construction.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MT-146CC6DC
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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Correctional Officer Wallace served with the Montana Department of Corrections.
Thank you for your service to the people of Montana. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Wallace.

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

Agency

Location Helena, MT
Platform Identity mdcspcorr.lewisclark.mt.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 30, 1985
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Correctional Officer Richard C. Wallace is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MT, 34 of 142 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.

At Montana Department of Corrections - State Prison, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Montana Department of Corrections - State Prison
2
of 4 officers
50% Accident
MT — Statewide
34
of 142 officers
23.9% Accident
Nationwide
10,088
of 32,508 officers
31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard C. Wallace's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Richard C. Wallace Compares

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Richard C. Wallace is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
707
May
847
Jun
795
Jul
897
Aug
937
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

3 officers from Montana Department of Corrections - State Prison are honored on badge.nw.