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Detective Ricky Joe Childers | Tampa Police Department, Florida Tampa Police Department, Florida

Detective

Ricky Joe Childers

Tampa Police Department, Florida

End of Watch: Tuesday, May 19, 1998

Bio & Incident Details

Age: 46

Tour: 18 years

Badge # Not available

Cause: Gunfire

Incident Date: 5/19/1998

Weapon: Officer's handgun

Suspect: Committed suicide

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Detective Ricky Childers and Detective Randy Bell were shot and killed transporting a suspect to the police station for questioning.

The suspect had earlier shot his girlfriend's 3-year-old child in the face with a rifle and took the child to a fire station. As Detective Bell and Detective Childers were transporting the suspect, he was able to free one of his hands from the handcuffs using a hidden key.

He then reached into the front seat and gained control of one of the detectives' weapons. He shot and killed the driver as he sat in the front seat and the passenger as he was climbing over the back seat in an attempt to get the gun from the suspect. The suspect then obtained his rifle from the trunk of the car and car-jacked another vehicle. He led police on a chase in which he shot and killed Florida State Trooper James B. Crooks.

The suspect committed suicide after a standoff at a local gas station.

Detective Childers had served with the agency for 18 years. He is survived by his two children.

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Related Line of Duty Deaths

Detective Randy Scott Bell
Tampa Police Department, Florida
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Cause: Gunfire

Trooper James Bradford-Jean Crooks
Florida Highway Patrol, Florida
End of Watch: Tuesday, May 19, 1998
Cause: Gunfire

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Its been thirteen years since an act of cowardice took the lives of Ricky, and Randy. It was no doubt one of the saddest
days in the history of this city, what's even more disturbing these vicious acts continue. May Ricky, Randy, Jeff, David and Michael rest in peace and may their families celebrate their lives everyday.

Anonymous
July 8, 2011

 

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