At 25, Officer Ronnie McGraw was industrious,dedicated and bright.
Interested in fighting the growing traffic in drugs, he felt his mission was to isolate
and convict the pushers who profited from the trade. He found time to speak to youth
groups and to listen to troubled youngsters.On October 17, 1970, around 1:45 a.m.,
Officer McGraw was fatally wounded in the back and chest as he and twelve other officers
were attempting to serve gambling warrants in a house on East Fourth Street. Other
officers were wounded, 17 persons were arrested and $42,000, a shotgun, and 8 pistols were
confiscated.
Though only on the police force three years, he was known and highly regarded by many
outside the Mecklenburg County Police Department, and had made the eligibility list for
promotion to sergeant. A newcomer to the Vice Squad, he had been entrusted with planning
one of its largest operations that spring.
