Patrolman Richard Harold McEvoy

Richard Harold McEvoy

Patrolman Richard McEvoy succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained on September 14th, 1971, while he and the police chief investigated a suspicious man standing outside of a gas station at 232 East Main Street, in East Brookfield. The chief was also shot and wounded during the incident.

The man was an escapee from a state mental hospital. After shooting the chief and Patrolman McElvoy, the subject took a woman hostage. He was sentenced to 36 to 40 years in prison but was released after serving only 10 years.

The shooting left Patrolman McEvoy paralyzed and confined to a wheelchair. His condition continued to worsen and he eventually succumbed to his wounds.

Patrolman McEvoy was a U.S. Air Force veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Spencer Police Department for four years at the time of the shooting. He was survived by his wife.