Chicot County Sheriff's Office, Arkansas
End of Watch: Sunday, February 1, 2004
Age: 50
Tour of Duty: 6 years
Badge Number: C5
Cause of Death: Heart attack
Date of Incident: February 1, 2004
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Apprehended
Deputy Sheriff Jerry Ridgell suffered a fatal heart attack shortly after responding to an officer needs assistance call.
Deputy Ridgell was off duty when he was contacted by dispatch that the on-call deputy was holding a burglary suspect at gunpoint. The suspect was reported to be failing to comply with orders.
Deputy Ridgell quickly put on his uniform and rushed out of his house. When he arrived at the scene, the suspect had just been taken into custody by the deputy and two firefighters who had come to his assistance. Deputy Ridgell accompanied the deputy and the suspect to the jail before returning home. Shortly after arriving home, within two hours of the initial call, Deputy Ridgell suffered a fatal heart attack.
Deputy Ridgell was a United States Army veteran who had served with the Chicot County Sheriff's Office for 5 years and had previously served with the Montrose Police Department for 1 year. He is survived by his wife.