Richard’s life is defined by a single, shattering moment from his youth. As a young boy, he stood frozen in the shadows, paralyzed by a primal fear, while an armed intruder took the life of his younger sister.

• The Motivation: He didn’t join the police for the glory or the pension. He joined because he made a silent vow to never be paralyzed again. Every tactical drill, every hour spent mastering his customized assault shotgun, and every signal he boosts is a tribute to the sister he couldn't save. He carries a survivor’s guilt that is both his greatest weakness and his most formidable strength.
• The Reputation: Despite the darkness in his past, Richard is famously "positive and sweet." He is the "surprising cool-headed" professional who can keep his voice steady on the radio while a building is collapsing around him. He reads emotions like he reads signal frequencies—with a surgical, empathetic precision.

Richard found his light in Bridgette, a local nurse at Raccoon General Hospital. They met during a chaotic medical emergency at the precinct where Richard’s calm demeanor stood out amidst the panic.

• The Relationship: Bridgette is his anchor. She is one of the few people who knows the story of his sister, and she provides the soft place for him to land after a high-pressure shift. They had plans—plans for a life beyond Raccoon City, maybe a small house far from the siren-filled streets of the South Precinct.
• The S.T.A.R.S. Brotherhood: Richard is closest to Edward Dewey and Enrico Marini. He views Enrico as the father figure he needs to guide his protective instincts, and he views Edward as a kindred, steady spirit. He also took the rookie, Rebecca Chambers, under his wing in June 1998, treating her with a warmth that made the elite unit feel like a home rather than a firing range.

July 22, 1996 | 21:30 Hours: The Ghost in the Office

The R.P.D. station was settling into its late-night rhythm. The shouting matches between Joseph and Chris had moved to the bars, and the heavy footfalls of the night shift echoed in the hallways. Richard Aiken sat in the dim light of his communications office, the green glow of the monitors casting a ghostly pallor over his face. He should have been checking the encryption keys for the Arklay deployment, but his hands were still. On his desk, propped against a signal booster, was a small, faded photograph of his little sister. She was laughing, her hair caught in a summer breeze. Richard stared at it until her image blurred. The weight of the upcoming mission—the reports of "monsters" in the woods—triggered that old, familiar knot in his stomach.

A single tear escaped, tracing a path through the faint smudge of gun oil on his cheek. He didn't wipe it away. He let it fall, a silent penance for a boy who had stood still when he should have moved.

"Sometimes I wish it was me and not you," he whispered, his voice cracking in the silence of the room. "But I won't let it happen again. Not to Rebecca. Not to any of them."