Richard Riggs

Richard O. Riggs was a dedicated seven-year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department, where he had earned the rank of Master Patrolman. At 32 years old, he was a respected officer and a beloved family man. His life was senselessly cut short in the line of duty on the cold evening of January 7, 1986, leaving a void in his family and his community.

That night, a call came in around 9:00 p.m. reporting an armed robbery at Tom's Market at 36th and Kelly. The clerk, Dorthy Trimble, told police a Black female with a gun had robbed the store and fled in a green van. Master Patrolman Riggs and his partner, Officer Craig Gravel, responded to the alert and began searching the area for the described vehicle. Their patrol led them to a Phillips 66 gas station on NE 36th Street, just west of Interstate 35. In the parking area, they spotted a green van that matched the description.

The officers pulled their patrol car in behind the van to investigate. Officer Gravel approached the rear of the vehicle, observing a female and two males inside. At the same time, Patrolman Riggs walked toward a man who was using a payphone nearby. Riggs ordered the man, Ronald Keith Boyd, to get off the phone and walk toward him. When Boyd didn't comply, Riggs repeated the command. Boyd dropped the phone's receiver and approached the officer, but kept his hands hidden inside his coat pockets. Riggs instructed him to show his hands. Instead, Boyd fired a gun from within his pocket, striking the officer in the abdomen. He then pulled the gun out, pressed it against Riggs’s chest, and fired a second, fatal shot.

As his partner fell, Officer Gravel saw Boyd approaching him and took cover behind the gasoline pumps. Boyd fired several shots in Gravel's direction while using the van, which had begun to roll slowly out of the parking lot, as a shield. Both officers managed to return fire toward the van. The vehicle eventually rolled across 36th Street and came to a stop after hitting a fence. The three occupants of the van—Byron Gibbs, Joe Jackson, and Lenora Denise Dunn, who had committed the initial robbery—were arrested at the scene. Boyd, however, fled on foot.

A massive manhunt for Boyd ensued. He ran to a house he shared with another man but fled again as police patrol cars and a helicopter descended on the area. The next morning, Boyd went to the home of an acquaintance, Reginald Walker, and confessed to shooting a police officer. He told Walker he had panicked because he had recently been released from jail and didn't want to be arrested again in connection with the robbery. Acting on a tip, police located Boyd at Walker's home and took him into custody.

Ronald Keith Boyd was charged with the first-degree murder of Master Patrolman Richard O. Riggs. During his trial, the evidence against him was overwhelming. He was found guilty, and the jury identified three aggravating circumstances, leading to a sentence of death. For fourteen years, Riggs's family, including his wife and stepson, awaited the conclusion of the legal process. On April 27, 2000, Ronald Keith Boyd was executed for the murder of Master Patrolman Riggs, bringing a final, somber closure to the case.

The memory of Richard O. Riggs endures. He is remembered as a hero who made the ultimate sacrifice in his commitment to protecting the citizens of Oklahoma City. His name is honored by his department and the community he served, a lasting testament to a life of service tragically cut short.