Steven F. Gaughan

Steven Francis Gaughan

A photo of a memorial left at SGT Gaughan's childhood home
Prince George's County Police Department
Died June 21, 2005(2005-06-21) (aged 40)
Nickname Steve
Badge number 1734
Place of birth Hyde Park, MA (Boston, MA) U.S.A.
Place of death Laurel, MD, U.S.A.
Years of service 1990-2005
Rank Corporal (posthumously promoted to Sergeant)

Sgt. Steven Francis Gaughan was a police officer in Prince George's County, MD assigned to the Beltsville District, Special Assignment Team[1]. He was killed in the line of duty by Robert M. Billett following a traffic stop.

The traffic stop

On Tuesday, June 21, 2005, Gaughan and his partner pulled over a suspicious vehicle near the intersection of Maryland Route 197 and South Laurel Drive in Laurel, Maryland[2]. The three men in the car fled when the car was stopped. While chasing one of the suspects, Robert M. Billett, shots were exchanged, and during this exchange both Billett and Gaughan were hit. Gaughan took a fatal hit and died at Prince George's Hospital Center several hours later.

Billett was convicted of first degree murder and sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole[2].

Street corner

On July 14, 2007, the City Of Boston, Massachusetts, dedicated the street corner where Gaughan grew up to his memory by renaming it Steven F. Gaughan Corner. A portion of the street Gaughan was killed on was also renamed for him[3]. Gaughan is also remembered on the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial[4] in Washington, DC.

Also See:

References

  1. ^ "Shooting Death of Prince George’s County Police Officer" (HTML). pub. June 21, 2005. http://www.co.pg.md.us/PGCounty/Government/PublicSafety/Police/news_articles/newsarticle7806.asp?h=80&s=0&n=60. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
  2. ^ a b "The Officer Down Memorial Page Remembers Steven F. Gaughan" (HTML). The Officer Down Memorial Page, Inc.. 2007. http://www.odmp.org/officer.php?oid=17798. Retrieved 2007-11-17. 
  3. ^ "MANEKIN CONSTRUCTION COMPLETES OLD GLORY HARLEY-DAVIDSON" (HTML). MANEKIN. May 21, 2007. Archived from the original on 2008-04-14. http://web.archive.org/web/20080414152330/http://www.manekin.com/pdfs/pr07_05oldglory.pdf. Retrieved 2007-11-17. "It also installed three times the landscaping as required by the county and relocated access points off S. Laurel Drive onto a private road renamed after a fallen Prince George’s police officer. Traffic now moves on Steven F. Gaughan Drive." 
  4. ^ "NATIONAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS MEMORIAL COMMEMORATES 14TH ANNUAL WREATHLAYING DAY CEREMONIES" (HTML). National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund. 2007. Archived from the original on 2007-08-07. http://web.archive.org/web/20070807012529/http://www.nleomf.com/media/press/wreathlaying05.htm. Retrieved 2007-11-17.