Richard Allensworth Jewell was an American security guard and law enforcement officer who acted heroically during the Centennial Olympic Park bombing at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. For months afterwards he was suspected of planting the bomb, leading to adverse publicity that "came to symbolize the excesses of law enforcement and the news media." While working as a security guard at the Olympic Park, Jewell discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs on the park grounds. He alerted law enforcement and helped evacuate the area before the bomb exploded, probably saving many people from injury or death. Initially hailed by the media as a hero, Jewell was soon considered a suspect by the FBI and local law enforcement based on scientific profiling. Though never charged, he underwent a "trial by media", which took a toll on his personal and professional life. Jewell was cleared as a suspect after 88 days of public scrutiny.
| Born | Richard White, December 17, 1962, Danville, Virginia, U.S. |
| Died | August 29, 2007, Woodbury, Georgia, U.S. |
| Occupation | Security guard, Police officer, Deputy Sheriff |
| Known for | Alerting the police and public prior to the Centennial Olympic Park bombing during the 1996 Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta, Georgia, saving the lives of hundreds of attendees in the process, and then being falsely accused of the bombing |
About Richard Jewell
Biopic from Clint Eastwood which centers around a security guard who is wrongly accused of placing a bomb in Centennial Olympic Park during the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia.
Achievement of Richard Jewell
The film is based on the Marie Brenner Vanity Fair article "American Nightmare: The Ballad of Richard Jewell." The National Board of Review recognized the movie as one of the ten best films of the year while also recognizing Kathy Bates performance.
Top Facts You Did Not Know About Richard Jewell
Centennial Olympic Park bombing - The Centennial Olympic Park bombing was a domestic terrorist pipe bombing attack on Centennial Olympic Park in Atlanta, Georgia, on July 27, 1996, during the Summer Olympics. The blast directly killed one person and injured 111 others; another person later died of a heart attack.. Security guards.. American deputy sheriffs.. American adoptees.
Latest information about Richard Jewell updated on July 28 2021.
