Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Wright was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a cafe owner who had prevented bystanders from breaking up a fight.
Two men had started fighting over a dog and the cafe owner refused to let other men in the cafe separate the two.
Officer Wright, another officer, and the police chief arrived at the scene of the fight and arrested one of the fighters. They then attempted to arrest the cafe owner. The owner opened fire on the officers with a .38 caliber handgun, striking Officer Wright once in the body. The other officer returned fire, striking the man several times, killing him.
Officer Wright was transported to Cherokee County Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds several hours later.
Officer Wright had served with the Gaffney Police Department for several years.
Survivors
He was survived by his son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-SC-F089CD08- 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.
Policeman Wright served with the Gaffney Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Gaffney community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Policeman Wright.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Policeman Frank Wright 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 SC, 271 of 438 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.9% of this state's fallen. That is 7.7 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Frank Wright's cause is highlighted.
How Frank Wright Compares
Offender Outcome
Shot and killed
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Frank Wright is highlighted in Dec.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Frank Wright was killed by handgun; .38 caliber.