Bertie County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina
End of Watch: Thursday, August 2, 1979
Age: 25
Tour of Duty: 5 years
Badge Number: Not available
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: August 2, 1979
Weapon Used: Gun; Unknown type
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Deputy Sheriff Calvin Cherry was shot and killed while searching a home for an inmate who escaped from the Bertie County Jail the previous day.
Officers had received information that the escapee was in one of three locations of a public housing complex in Lewiston. After searching one of the locations at 5:30 pm the officers were about to leave when Deputy Cherry decided to take one more look. Deputy Cherry was shot in the chest by the subject when he pulled open the curtain to a shower he was hiding in. The man was arrested approximately 50 yards from the house after an all night search.
The 23-year-old subject was convicted of second degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on February 5th, 1980. He was denied parole in 2014.
Deputy Cherry had served with the Bertie County Sheriff's Office for five years. He was survived by his expectant wife and two stepdaughters.