Jackson Parish Sheriff's Office, Louisiana
End of Watch: Friday, August 22, 1924
Age:
Tour of Duty: Not available
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 22, 1924
Weapon Used: Officer's handgun
Suspect Info: Executed in 1924
Sheriff Eli Rentz was shot and killed with his own service weapon after he and another deputy arrested two moonshiners near Ansley.
The two officers had parked their car a half-mile away so they could approach the suspects without being noticed. After handcuffing the two suspects together, the deputy returned to retrieve the car.
Sheriff Rentz was leading the two out of the woods when they attacked and disarmed him. The deputy heard a shot and ran back to the scene where he found Sheriff Rentz suffering from a gunshot from his own .44 caliber service revolver.
Both suspects were gone but were later apprehended. They were executed by hanging on October 3rd, 1924.
Sheriff Rentz was survived by his wife, son, and daughter.