On a Tuesday afternoon in Spartanburg County, South Carolina, Deputy First Class Austin Derek Aldridge, a 25-year-old male, responded to a domestic violence call on Chaffee Drive. It was June 21, 2022, and as he approached the residence around 3:20 p.m., he was met with an ambush. A man, later identified as 63-year-old Duane Leslie Heard, opened fire, critically injuring the young deputy.
Bystanders rushed to Aldridge's aid, providing medical assistance until emergency services arrived
and gave responding officers a description of the shooter and his vehicle. This information allowed another deputy to quickly locate Heard, who initially feigned surrender before firing at that deputy as well. A pursuit ensued, ending when Heard crashed his vehicle near a Keurig Dr. Pepper plant. He then exchanged more gunfire with deputies before fleeing into nearby woods, where he was eventually captured by a SWAT team and a police canine.
Deputy Aldridge was transported to a local hospital, but he succumbed to his wounds at 9:26 p.m. that evening. He had been with the Spartanburg County Sheriff's Office for three years. The man responsible for his death, Duane Heard, was taken to the hospital with non-life-threatening gunshot wounds sustained during his capture. However, Heard died in custody from his injuries before he could stand trial for the murder of Deputy Aldridge. At the time of his death, Aldridge was survived by his wife, who was expecting their first child.
