The DEA Honor Roll
Official Line of Duty Deaths
Claude Dan Richards
Rank: Detective
Shield Number: 244
Command: Bomb Squad
Date of Death: 09/11/2001
Cause of Death: World Trade Center Attack
Detective Claude Richards was busy clearing wreckage and directing people away from the plaza area. Within minutes, the second tower start shaking and coming apart, sending debris crashing down from above. On September 11, 2001, he died a hero twice: as a New York City Police Officer, and as a military veteran caught in an unprecedented act of warfare on the country he loved to serve. Claude Richards was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor during the Annual Medal Day ceremony on December 4, 2001. The New York City Police Department Medal of Honor is the highest award that may be bestowed upon a member of the service.
“Detective Claude “Danny” Richards Way”, is located at West Street between Morton and Barrow Streets, Manhattan.