Gregory James Richards
Police Officer

Gregory James Richards

Lakewood Police Dept. — Lakewood, WA
Felonious
End of Watch November 29, 2009
Age 42
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
The Vigil Panel 158 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Greg Richards, Sergeant Mark Renninger, Police Officer Tina DeLong-Griswold, and Police Officer Ronald Owens were shot and killed in an ambush attack while sitting inside a coffee shop in Parkland.

All four officers had just finished a call and went to the coffee shop to complete paperwork. Sergeant Renninger, Officer Owens, and Officer DeLong-Griswold were seated at a table, and Officer Richards was in line waiting to order coffee. The suspect entered the shop, walked directly over to the table where the three officers were sitting, drew a 9 mm handgun, and shot Officer DeLong-Griswold, killing her. The suspect then shot Sergeant Renninger, killing him.

After shooting the two officers, the suspect’s weapon jammed, and he became involved in a physical fight with Officer Owens. During the struggle, the suspect drew a second weapon, a .38 caliber revolver, and shot and killed Officer Owens. Officer Richards, hearing the shots, moved toward the suspect and became involved in a physical fight with him. Officer Richards was able to shoot the suspect once in the torso before the suspect was able to gain control of his weapon. The suspect then shot Officer Richards, killing him.

The suspect fled the location, prompting a two-day manhunt. He was shot and killed by a Seattle police officer after the officer observed him near a stolen car. The officer attempted to take the suspect into custody, but the suspect refused to follow commands and attempted to flee, prompting the officer to fatally shoot him.

Officer Richards had served with the Lakewood Police Department for five years and had a total of eight years of law enforcement service.

Survivors

Survivors include his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-WA-834BB3A5
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.
Police Officer Richards gave the Lakewood Police Department 8 years.
Thank you for your service to the Lakewood community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Richards.

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

Agency

Location Lakewood, WA
Platform Identity lpd.pierce.wa.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 29, 2009
Tour of Duty 8 yrs
Age 42
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Officer's handgun
Offender Shot and killed

Police Officer Gregory James Richards 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 WA, 187 of 339 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 55.2% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Lakewood Police Dept., 4 of 4 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 100% of this agency's fallen.

Lakewood Police Dept.
4
of 4 officers
100% Felonious
WA — Statewide
187
of 339 officers
55.2% Felonious
Nationwide
17,623
of 32,508 officers
54.2% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Gregory James Richards'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 Gregory James Richards Compares

Age at End of Watch
42
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
8
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.5 years

Offender Outcome

Shot and killed

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Gregory James Richards is highlighted in Nov.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,517
May
1,505
Jun
1,443
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,516
Sep
1,553
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Gregory James Richards was killed by officer's handgun.

Gun; Unknown type
5,083
Handgun
2,077
Shotgun
922
Officer's handgun
909
Automobile; Alcohol involved
530
Rifle
518

Incident Location