Police officer Terry L. Griffith thought a service call to a Christiansburg business on Sept. 18, 1994, would just be a simple call.
Samuel Jerome Patterson, 34, of West Virginia was accused of shoplifting a carton of cigarettes from Hill’s Department Store. Griffith was attempting to detain Patterson when the two struggled and Patterson managed to take Griffith’s service revolver and shoot him in the head.
Current officers gathered in a special ceremony at Griffith’s graveside this past week to never forget Griffith and his sacrifice. The memorial service has been held every year since his death. Griffith, a 17-year veteran of the force, is the only Christiansburg police officer killed in the line of duty.
The man who killed Griffith was legally drunk, with a blood-alcohol content of 0.09 percent, but did not have any drugs in his system, according to autopsy tests. Patterson was shot dead by other officers during a pursuit that included the suspect stealing a deputy’s patrol car and attempting to steal a bystander’s vehicle. He was shot after he jumped out of that car in downtown Christiansburg and jumped into another deputy’s car, ignoring commands to drop Griffith’s gun and surrender.
Deputy Sgt. Billy Wiatt, who was also shot in the incident, had responded to a call to help Griffith at the shopping center. Wiatt was shot first as both officers struggled with Patterson. The shot grazed his face near an eye, but he did not require medical treatment. Griffith was shot once in the face and died later at Roanoke Memorial Hospital.
