Ernest Willis
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Ernest Willis

End of Watch January 28, 1999
Age 59
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
The Vigil Panel 145 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Buddy Willis was killed when he was struck by a vehicle while directing traffic at the scene of a crash on U.S. 165.

At 6:30 p.m., Deputy Willis stopped at a crash site and directed traffic until police units arrived. a vehicle traveling north struck him at the intersection of US 165 and Ward Line Road near Kinder.

Deputy Willis was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Allen Parish Sheriff's Department for 16 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, daughter, mother, two brothers, three sisters, and two grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-CE0B400F
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army, salute.nw. One record, 3 gates. Ernest is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Willis gave the Allen Parish Sheriff's Department 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oberlin community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Oberlin, Allen Parish, LA
Platform Identity apso.allen.la.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 28, 1999
Tour of Duty 16 yrs
Age 59
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Ernest Willis served in the U.S. Army (1962–1965) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Deputy Sheriff Ernest Willis 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 LA, 180 of 595 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.3% of this state's fallen. That is 30.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Allen Parish Sheriff's Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Allen Parish Sheriff's Department
1
of 2 officers
50% Accident
LA — Statewide
180
of 595 officers
30.3% 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. Ernest Willis's cause is highlighted.

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

How Ernest Willis Compares

Age at Death
59
This officer
Avg for Accident: 38.1 years
Years of Service
16
This officer
Avg for Accident: 9.1 years

When Accident Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Ernest Willis is highlighted in Jan.

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

Military Service

Ernest Willis served in the U.S. Army (1962–1965) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Ernest Willis’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

1 officer from Allen Parish Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.