Elwood L. Ridge

Camden Police Department — Camden, NJ

Felonious Veteran

End of Watch July 2, 1973

Age 29

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 112 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 12

Incident

Officer Elwood Ridge was shot and killed when he intervened in a domestic dispute while on patrol. While attempting to separate a man and his wife, the man grabbed Officer Ridge's handgun from his holster and shot him in the back. The next day, the shooter was arrested in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for throwing bottles at cars. He bragged to the Philadelphia police officer that he had killed a cop in New Jersey. The 23-year-old suspect was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. In 1995 the parole board notified no one when they approved his parole. The reaction of infuriated police and family members led the board to rescind his parole indefinitely. Officer Ridge was a United States Army Vietnam War veteran and had served with the Camden Police Department for four years.

Survivors

He was survived by his expectant wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-NJ-6F5F879B
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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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.
Police Officer Ridge gave the Camden Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Camden community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Camden Police Department

Location Camden, NJ

Platform Identity camdpd.camden.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch July 2, 1973

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Sentenced to life

Military Service

Elwood L. Ridge served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Police Officer Elwood L. Ridge is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In NJ, 264 of 646 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 40.9% of this state's fallen. That is 13.3 percentage points below the national rate of 54.2%.

At Camden Police Department, 7 of 13 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.8% of this agency's fallen.

Camden Police Department

of 13 officers

53.8% Felonious

NJ — Statewide

264

of 646 officers

40.9% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious