Richard Alan Maxwell
Agency patch
Officer

Richard Alan Maxwell

California Highway Patrol — Sacramento, CA
Felonious
End of Watch July 11, 1994
Age 33
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Badge 12788
The Vigil Panel 140 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Richard Maxwell was shot and killed as he made a traffic stop in front of the suspect's house. As he was waiting for backup to arrive, the suspect and his father began attacking him. The father ran into the open garage to retrieve a shotgun, and while doing so, the suspect shot Officer Maxwell in the face and, as he sat on the driveway, was shot in the throat. CPR was administered, but he later died at a local hospital. The father was sentenced to life, and the son, who was 16 years old at the time, was released after serving only a short jail sentence. On May 9th, 2006, the suspect was convicted of manslaughter during a retrial. He was sentenced to time served and released. Officer Maxwell had served with the California Highway Patrol for five years. He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, sister, brother, and grandmother. He is buried in Hillcrest Memorial Cemetery, Bakersfield, California.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, parents, sister, brother, and grandmother.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Officer Maxwell gave the California Highway Patrol 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Maxwell.

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

Agency

Type Highway Patrol
Location Sacramento, CA
Platform Identity chp.ca.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 11, 1994
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 33
Badge Number 12788
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Richard is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1994, 93 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 59th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Richard was 33. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Richard had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

California Highway Patrol has at least 120 officers remembered here, Richard among them.

Across the years

Officer Richard Alan Maxwell

California Highway Patrol · End of Watch July 11, 1994

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 35-E

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