Officer Richards

“	Out of the car, you fucker!	”
–Richards to Ghostface (Mickey Altieri in costume) moments before his death in Scream 2.

Officer Richards
General Information
Full Name	Unknown (forename only)
Age	37-40
Born	approx. December 22—January 19, late-1950s
Death	Saturday night, December 6, 1997 (see Continuity Errors; with date shown in the opening of second film, April 12, the film's first day of production; with the date of the Windsor College Murders as seen on board in Scream VI is dated 1997 and is likely December, given Stab's release, and Sidney's end of year production) Cause: Head impaled with long pipe by Mickey Altieri.
Occupation	Police officer
Home	Ohio
Goal	To protect Sidney Prescott from Ghostface (failed) To escort Sidney Prescott and Hallie McDaniel off Windsor College to a safe location (failed)
Weapons	Glock 17
Status	Deceased
Appearances	Scream 2
Relationships
Romance	Unnamed ex-wife
Relatives	Unnamed ex-wife Two unnamed children
Allies	Lewis Hartley (boss) Officer Andrews † (work partner) Frank Down (co-worker) Sidney Prescott Hallie McDaniel †
Enemies	Mickey Altieri † (killer) Nancy Loomis † (indirectly)
Actors/Actresses
Portrayed by	Christopher Doyle
Stab Portrayal	Unknown

Officer Richards was a minor character who appears in Scream 2 (1997 film). He worked for Chief Lewis Hartley and was hired to serve as one of Sidney Prescott's bodyguards, alongside Officer Andrews, when it became apparent she was the prime target in the Windsor College Murders.

He was the sixth person to fall victim to the second Ghostface killing spree.

He was portrayed by stunt actor, Christopher Doyle.

Biography

Background

Officer Richards was a Capricorn and a recently divorced father of two children. A law enforcement officer, he was considered one of Chief Lewis Hartley's best men.

The Windsor College Murders (1997)

After the murders of three Windsor College students and an attack on Sidney Prescott at the Delta Lambda Zeta sorority house, Richards and Andrews were ordered to protect Sidney. They followed her throughout the day, while walking through campus with her boyfriend, Derek Feldman, eating lunch with her friends, and the Fall of Troy rehearsals. The two searched for the killer when Sidney was harassed at the school's library via the internet. They brought Cotton Weary into custody when he confronted Sidney about an interview with Diane Sawyer, though he was later released.

Richards jumps onto the car in an attempt to stop Ghostface (Mickey Altieri).

That night, the two escorted Sidney and her roommate and best friend, Hallie McDaniel, away from campus for their safety. Ghostface (Mickey Altieri in costume) struck while the car was stopped at a red light and slashed Andrews' throat. Ghostface then attacked Richards and then drove into him. Richards hung onto the hood of the car, attempting to stop the killer, but the car crashed into a construction site and his head was impaled with a metal pole.

Richards is impaled in the head with a long pipe after Ghostface crashes the car.

Relationships

Family Unnamed ex-wife Two unnamed children Allies Ohio Lewis Hartley - Boss Officer Andrews † - Work Partner Frank Down - Co-Worker Windsor College Sidney Prescott Hallie McDaniel †

Enemies Ghostface Mickey Altieri † - Killer Nancy Loomis † - Indirect Killer

Trivia

• Him and Andrews are the first law enforcement casualties of the franchise.
  • Deputies Ross Hoss and Anthony Perkins in Scream 4 would be the next law enforcement victims in the franchise until Deputy Clifton Roberts in Season 1 of the TV Series.
  • In the fifth film, Scream (2022), Sheriff Judy Hicks would be the next in the film series to be killed followed by Deputy Clay.
• Richards would be the first male law enforcement of who was one of the oldest at the time of his death, succeeded by former Sheriff Dewey Riley's death in the fifth film, and former NYPD Detective Wayne Bailey (Ghostface #10) in Scream VI.
  • Succeeded similarly by Lakewood Sheriff Clark Hudson from Season 1.
  • He would also be around the same age at death if he'd died at 40, when sheriff Judy Hicks was murdered during the Third Woodsboro Murders (2022), who was killed at age 43 (three years younger than Judy had Richards been 40 at death, unstated).
• Richards' death, alongside his partner Andrews, while in and near a vehicle (in Richards case, he was run over before his death via impalement), would make them the second (Andrews) and third (Richards) in the Scream franchise (second and third out of seven by Ghostface in the films), preceded by Kenny Brown's death by his news van in the first Scream (of whose deaths were also witnessed by Sidney Prescott, similarly to how she had witnessed Kenny's death at the hands of Stu Macher as Ghostface), succeeded by:
  • Rebecca Walters, Ross Hoss, and Anthony Perkins in Scream 4 (former being thrown on top of a newsvan following her death in a parking garage).
  • Deputy Stevens in Season 2 in "When a Stranger Calls".
  • Tommy Jenkins and Manny in Season 3 in "The Deadfast Club" (former) and "The Man Behind the Mask" (latter).
  • Vince Schneider in Scream (2022).
• Richards' death via impalement would be referenced and homaged similarly by Avery Collins' death in Season 3.
  • Difference being Avery was thrown from high elevation by his respective Ghostface (Jamal Elliot), whereas Richards was impaled after the car crashed onto a construction site, due to hanging on to the hood of the car after his Ghostface killer (Mickey Altieri) hijacked it after killing his partner, Andrews, who was driving , but similarly in that the force of each Ghostface (Mickey driving and crashing the car, Jamal pushing Avery down) led to their victims impalement.
  • Both would be alive momentarily and twitch before dying, and which was witnessed by the protagonists and antagonists in each case (both Sidney Prescott and Hallie McDaniel to Richards and his partner, done by Mickey before he passed out after crashing the car; to Marcus Elliot and the Deadfast Club with Avery's death, which was done by Jamal in-costume, while his accomplice and part of the club, 17-year-old, Beth, witnessed and feigned shock at, despite being a co-conspirator to Avery's murder).
• It is unknown who portrayed Richards in Stab 2 (1999) within the Stab franchise.
• Richards' actor, Christopher Doyle, was the stunt actor for Billy Loomis (Skeet Ulrich) as the first revealed Ghostface from the first Scream, specifically the scene when Billy fell down the stairs, as well as a stuntman who portrayed Ghostface.
• Richards' is informally the first cop parent in the Scream franchise, with it being stated that he had an unnamed ex-wife of which he shared two children with. Richards' as a cop parent would be succeeded directly by:
  • Clark Hudson and Kieran Wilcox in Season 1.
  • Miguel Acosta and Gustavo Acosta in Season 2.
  • Officer Reynolds and Liv Reynolds in Season 3.
  • Judy Hicks and Wes Hicks in Scream (2022).
  • Wayne Bailey and his children, Richie Kirsch, Quinn Bailey, and Ethan Landry from the fifth and sixth films (with Richie being the oldest and the ninth revealed Ghostface who perpetrated the Legacy Murders in 2022, who after his death, Wayne and his remaining two children, would attempt to avenge and get revenge on his killer and protagonist, Samantha Carpenter, during the New York Murders in 2023).
• Richards and Andrews' deaths are similar to Deputy Stevens from Season 2 of the TV series and Officer David Coporizo in I Know What You Did Last Summer (written by Kevin Williamson).
  • All four are transporting some of the main characters, although in the case of Stevens, he arrested Emma Duval and Audrey Jensen after finding the dead body of Mayor Quinn Maddox.
  • All of them are eventually killed by the killers:
    • Andrews is ambushed by Mickey Altieri, who slashes his throat.
    • Stevens crashes into a pole after seeing the Lakewood Slasher (Kieran Wilcox) on the road.
    • Coporizo sees Ben Willis on the road and assumes he is a bystander and goes to check on him and gets stabbed to death.
    • Both Stevens and Richards attempt to fight the killers off before ultimately being killed.
    • Stevens is stabbed to death by the Lakewood Slasher.
    • Richards is driven and impaled onto a metal pole after being stuck on the hood of the car when Mickey Altieri attempts to run him over.
• He is the first victim in the franchise that attempts to fight back after being seriously injured only to be killed not long after.
• He is the first victim in the franchise to be attacked with a car.
• He is the first victim in the franchise not to be killed with a knife or firearm.
  • He is also the first victim to not being injured with a knife before his death.
• He is the first victim to be impaled in some of fashion.
  • Mayor Quinn Maddox in Season 2 would be the next when the Lakewood Slasher (Kieran Wilcox) impales him with a pitchfork.

Behind the Scenes

• Richards and Andrews' surnames are references to the two child actors who portrayed Tommy Doyle and Lindsay Wallace (Brian Andrews and Kyle Richards) in Halloween (1978 film).
• It is unknown who played him in the Stab franchise.
• It is somewhat ironic that Richards is killed by Ghostface, as his actor Christopher Doyle, was one of the stuntmen that portrayed Ghostface in the movie. Doyle also doubled for Skeet Ulrich in the first film where Billy Loomis falls down the stairs.