James Duncan Reddicks
Deputy Sheriff

James Duncan Reddicks

Felonious
End of Watch June 30, 1939
Age 64
The Vigil Panel 76 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff James Reddicks was shot and killed from ambush by a subject whom he had just ejected from a motion picture show in Saratoga.

Deputy Reddicks, who was working in a cafe he owned in Saratoga, was sent for by the man operating the motion picture show because a man at the show was creating a disturbance. Deputy Reddicks went to the location and told the man to go home. The man responded that he was going to get his father's shotgun and return with it.

Deputy Reddicks returned to his cafe and was sitting behind the counter when the man returned and fired two blasts from the shotgun through a window, striking him with both shots.

The man fled but turned himself in the following day. He was charged with murder but the charges were dismissed two years later.

Deputy Reddicks was survived by several adult children.

Survivors

Deputy Reddicks was survived by several adult children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-83AA3FFF
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 Reddicks served with the Hardin County Sheriff's Department.
Thank you for your service to the Kountze community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Reddicks.

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

Agency

Type Other
Location Kountze, Hardin County, TX
Platform Identity hcso.hardin.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 30, 1939
Age 64
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Shotgun; 12 gauge

Deputy Sheriff James Duncan Reddicks is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In TX, 1,461 of 2,422 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 60.3% of this state's fallen. That is 60.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Hardin County Sheriff's Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Hardin County Sheriff's Department
2
of 3 officers
66.7% Felonious
TX — Statewide
1,461
of 2,422 officers
60.3% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Duncan Reddicks's cause is highlighted.

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

How James Duncan Reddicks Compares

Age at Death
64
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. James Duncan Reddicks is highlighted in Jun.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. James Duncan Reddicks was killed by shotgun; 12 gauge.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location

Others Who Wore This Badge

2 officers from Hardin County Sheriff's Department are honored on badge.nw.