Christopher Darby Ray
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Christopher Darby Ray

Accident
End of Watch August 29, 2009
Age 22
Tour of Duty 3 mo
The Vigil Panel 158 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Ray was killed in an automobile accident as he and his FTO were responding to a fight call in Newsoms at 5:20 am.

A tree had fallen across General Thomas Highway, approximately one mile west of Shady Brook Trail, during an overnight storm. The patrol car swerved to avoid the fallen tree and went off the road, striking another tree. Deputy Ray, who was the passenger, suffered fatal injuries.

Deputy Ray had served with the Southampton County Sheriff's Office for only three months.

Rest in peace Deputy Sheriff Ray.

Rabbi Lewis S. Davis January 22nd, 2025

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-C80D911B
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.
Deputy Sheriff Ray served with the Southampton County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Courtland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Ray.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Courtland, Southampton County, VA
Platform Identity scso.southampton.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 29, 2009
Tour of Duty 3 mo
Age 22
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Deputy Sheriff Christopher Darby Ray 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 VA, 204 of 656 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.1% of this state's fallen. That is 31.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Southampton County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Accident
VA — Statewide
204
of 656 officers
31.1% Accident
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Christopher Darby Ray's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Christopher Darby Ray Compares

Age at Death
22
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
0.2
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Christopher Darby Ray is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
820
Feb
730
Mar
748
Apr
708
May
848
Jun
797
Jul
899
Aug
938
Sep
913
Oct
925
Nov
872
Dec
897

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Southampton County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.