Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Oregon
End of Watch: Tuesday, July 23, 1985
Age: 44
Tour of Duty: 16 years
Badge Number: 103
Cause of Death: Aircraft accident
Date of Incident: July 23, 1985
Weapon Used: Not available
Suspect Info: Not available
Sergeant Gerald Chirrick, Corporal Virgle Knight, and Special Deputy Ronald Terwilliger were killed in a helicopter crash while conducting a marijuana eradication operation.
The helicopter crashed after striking power lines as it took off from the parking area of the Canton Creek Campground in the Umppqua National Forest.
Sergeant Chirrick was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War. He had served with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office for 16 years and had previously served with the Reedsport Police Department. He was survived by his wife, two sons, daughter, mother, and siblings.