May 23, 2013
News 12 at 11 o'clock / Thursday, Dec. 22, 2011
AIKEN, S.C. and AUGUSTA, Ga. -- People in Aiken are still hurting after Tuesday night's shooting that left Aiken Public Safety Officer Scott Richardson dead.
"Law enforcement don't really get the show of appreciation they deserve," said Aiken resident Anthony Fulmer. "What we want to do is show up and let them know that we love them and that we're here for them."
And now that people like Fulmer know investigators have charged Stephon Carter in Richardson's death, they say the city can begin to move forward.
"I'm hoping that there's going to be enough that this man gets what he deserves, and that justice is carried out in a fair way," Fulmer said.
On the other side of the river, deputies in Richmond County know about the healing process all too well.
"Time heals all wounds like this," said Sgt. Scott Redmon of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office. "We're still dealing with the emotions of our officer, J.D. Paugh, getting killed. We'll never forget about it. They'll never forget about it."
They won't forget about it, but they will work together to get through it.
"We all are one family, law enforcement, no matter what jurisdiction you work for," Redmon said. "We help each other through it, and we'll be helping them through it as much as we can, and they did it for us."
Richmond County deputies say they will be helping out with traffic for Richardson's funeral Tuesday so more Aiken officers can attend the service. Some in the community say they're standing ready to help, too.
"I think it would be uplifting, not just to the family, but to the officers to know that the public is behind them, and it would show the criminal element that the people are behind their law enforcement," Fulmer said.
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