Richard Holden, the first African-American commander of the N.C. State Highway Patrol, died on Aug. 22. He was 67 years old.

Holden, who retired at the rank of colonel, led the Highway Patrol from 1999-2004. Gov. Pat McCrory ordered state flags to be lowered to half-staff on all state facilities from sunrise to sunset on Aug. 27.

“Col. Holden led the North Carolina State Highway Patrol with a great amount of dedication and excellence,” McCrory said in a statement. “We will all remember and cherish his legacy. He set a fine example for future commanders with his leadership. Ann and I will be praying for his family and friends during this difficult time.”

As commander, Holden oversaw formation of mobile field force squads in each of the patrol's eight troop districts and introduced new methods of allocating personnel to high crash corridors to prevent wrecks. He also oversaw the 2003 merger of the former Motor Vehicles Enforcement Division into the Highway Patrol.

A Wendell, N.C., native, Holden graduated N.C. A&T State University in Greensboro and began his patrol career in Fayetteville in 1969. He was promoted to line sergeant and transferred to Winston-Salem. In 1984, he was promoted to first sergeant and transferred to the Raleigh Training Center.

As commander, Holden led the Highway Patrol during its initial accreditation by the Commission on the Accreditation of Law Enforcement Agencies in 2000, and re-accreditation in 2003. Accreditation by CALEA means that an agency has met the highest international standards for law enforcement.

In 2003, Holden was appointed CALEA commissioner and elected general chair of the State and Provincial Police of the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He also served on the Highway Safety Committee of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives. Holden served five years on the executive committee of the North State Law Enforcement Association, which represents African American officers across the state.

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