On a summer evening nearly three decades ago, the life of Sergeant Ronald Charles Cheek was tragically cut short. The 54-year-old male officer with the Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office was killed in the line of duty on August 5, 1995, after responding to a domestic dispute call in Winterville, Georgia. The call came from a family that Cheek knew from his church, a detail that added a layer of poignancy to the unfolding tragedy.
Upon arriving at the residence, Sergeant Cheek was met
with a volatile situation. A man, reportedly under the influence of drugs and alcohol, opened fire, striking Cheek in the chest while he was in the front yard. The peaceful community was shattered by the violence that erupted. Backup officers arrived at the chaotic scene shortly after Cheek was shot. They engaged the shooter, and in the ensuing exchange, the man who had killed Sergeant Cheek was also fatally shot by the responding officers.
The sudden and violent death of Sergeant Cheek sent shockwaves through his family, his law enforcement colleagues, and the tight-knit community he served. He was remembered as a humble, dependable, and funny man, a 'good, quiet, Christian type fella.' The sheriff at the time expressed his profound shock at losing one of his few officers. In the 30 years since his death, no other Oglethorpe County officer has been killed in the line of duty, a testament to the lasting impact of his sacrifice. His memory is honored with a memorial in the lobby of the Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office. As the perpetrator died at the scene, there were no subsequent arrests or trials in connection with Sergeant Cheek's murder.
