Richard Jewell, the former security guard who quickly went from hero to FBI suspect, in the days following the Centennial Olympic Park bombing in Atlanta during the 1996 Summer Olympics, was honored Wednesday with a dedication ceremony at the Quilt of Remembrance at the park in Atlanta.
Jewell, who passed away in 2007 at the age of 44, was cleared as a suspect 88 days after the bombing. Eric Rudolph eventually confessed to the terrorist act and is serving four life sentences in prison near Florence, Colorado.
That night, Jewell discovered a backpack containing three pipe bombs on the park grounds and moved quickly to help evacuate the area before the bombs exploded.
Although two people died and 111 were injured as a result of the bombs, Jewell’s efforts to help evacuate the area certainly saved many people from possible death or injury.
Though Jewell was never charged with a crime, the FBI treated him as a suspect soon after the incident, and he was not officially exonerated until October 1996.
In a statement the Georgia World Congress Center Authority wanted to commemorate Jewell and the law enforcement community for their “bravery, vigilance and commitment to protecting the public on July 27, 1996.”
Jewell would become the subject of a book and movie about the bombing. After his exoneration, he filed libel lawsuits against the FBI and several media outlets in hopes of clearing his name.
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