Lieutenant Richard Gammil was fatally wounded after responding to a disturbance call.

On May 22, 1980, three Joplin officers were dispatched to Howard Johnson's Hotel. A subject at the hotel stated he had been shot while on the interstate. Officer Jon Hubbard and Detective Larry Hopper attempted to interview the subject. When then Sergeant Richard Gammill arrived at the scene, the subject, Michael McCall, pulled a .38 caliber handgun and fired on all three officers. Sergeant Gammill was shot in the upper left shoulder and the right mid‐section of the back. As a result of these injuries, Sergeant Gammill suffered from stress diabetes and future medical complications which led to his death. As a lieutenant, Gammill died on September 7, 1989. Michael McCall was shot three times by Detective Hopper and died as a result of his wounds.

Article by Brent Marchant