Cook County Sheriff's Police Department, Illinois
End of Watch: Thursday, October 17, 1985
Age: 29
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: 380
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: October 17, 1985
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Investigator Michael Ridges was shot and killed after stopping three suspects who fitted the description of men committing vandalism to a local home.
As Investigator Ridges was reviewing a series of vandalism incidents that occurred around a Prospect Heights home he noticed a car with three men inside who closely matched the physical descriptions of the offenders in the case. Investigator Ridges called in a description of the vehicle and then stopped it. Once stopped, all three men exited the car and while Investigator Ridges was checking their identities, one man drew a concealed gun and shot Investigator Ridges once in the head and once in the hand, fatally wounding him.
The suspects were caught a short time later based on Investigator Ridges' original radio description, along with a description provided by a citizen who witnessed the incident. It was later revealed through a police investigation that the three men were en route to commit a contract murder at the Prospect Heights home where Investigator Ridges was investigating the vandalism incidents.
One of the suspects was sentenced to life in prison and a second was sentenced to 40 years in prison.
Investigator Ridges had served with the Cook County Sheriff's Police Department for five years. He was survived by his wife.