Roll of Honor
Incident
Reserve Sergeant Billy Baruday and Captain Floyd Riley were killed when their Hughes TH-55 Osage two-seat helicopter crashed in a wooded area near Traskwood in Saline County. They were assisting other deputies in the pursuit of several juvenile burglary suspects who had previously escaped custody.
Survivors
Reserve Sergeant Baruday is survived by his wife, daughter, and stepson.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AR-9CCB7839- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sergeant Baruday served with the Garland County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Hot Springs community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Baruday.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Billy Ray Baruday is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In AR, 92 of 372 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 24.7% of this state's fallen. That is 24.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Garland County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Billy Ray Baruday's cause is highlighted.
How Billy Ray Baruday Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Billy Ray Baruday is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
3 officers from Garland County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
