Ernest Joseph Leatherbury, Sr.

Crisfield Police Department — Crisfield, MD

Cardiac

End of Watch February 21, 2003

Age 55

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

The Vigil Panel 150 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Chief of Police Ernest Leatherbury suffered a fatal heart attack at 5:30 pm, approximately one hour after helping other officers subdue a suspect in front of the police station.

The suspect who had been arrested for assault refused to go into the station and had to be forced inside by the chief and other officers. Chief Leatherbury collapsed at a meeting approximately one hour after the incident.

Chief Leatherbury had served with the Crisfield Police Department for six years and had previously served with the Maryland State Police for 25 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife, three sons, five grandchildren, and nine siblings.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MD-E8CB76EF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

31 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Leatherbury gave the Crisfield Police Department 31 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Crisfield community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Leatherbury.

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

Agency

Department Crisfield Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Crisfield, Somerset County, MD

Platform Identity cpd.somerset.md.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 21, 2003

Tour of Duty 31 yrs

Age 55

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Cause Detail Heart attack

Weapon Person

Chief of Police Ernest Joseph Leatherbury, Sr. is one of 1 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 officers honored here.

In MD, 22 of 377 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.8% of this state's fallen. That is 5.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Crisfield Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Crisfield Police Department

of 4 officers

25% Cardiac

MD — Statewide

of 377 officers

5.8% Cardiac

Nationwide

of 97,756 officers

0% Cardiac