‘Blessed are the peacemakers’: Fallen SC trooper Dennis Ricks laid to rest
At more than 6 feet tall, S.C. Trooper First Class Dennis Ricks was a gentle giant with an even bigger heart. He loved his wife. He loved his job. He loved to laugh.
Ricks was remembered for those traits Wednesday during a funeral service in Columbia attended by Gov. Henry McMaster, Attorney General Alan Wilson, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division Chief Mark Keel family, friends and hundreds of law enforcement officers. Troopers, deputies and policemen from near and far — Richland County to Texas — filled the pews of Shandon Baptist Church to honor Ricks’ life and sacrifice.
Ricks, 30, died Aug. 13 from injuries he suffered days earllier while making a traffic stop in Orangeburg County. He was the first state trooper to die in the line of duty in eight years.
A procession, led by dozens of police motorcycles, rumbled down Forest Drive and arrived at the churched just after 10 a.m. Mourners were greeted by a sea of somber-faced men and women clad in gray and blue. Ricks’ casket, draped in an American flag, was carried to the pulpit as a bagpiper played. Ricks’ wife, Jade, followed close behind, crying.
“It is with heavy hearts and humble gratitude that we gather today to remember our comrade and friend,” Rob Wood, director of the state Department of Public Safety, said. “Even though first responders face death and grief every day, when it happens to one of our own, it cuts deeper. The sudden nature of the loss of Trooper Ricks makes this heartache so much more difficult to bear. Days such as this are a solemn reminder of the inherent dangers associated with serving in law enforcement, but also the immense courage and selflessness it takes to answer the call.”
Ricks pulled over a vehicle on Interstate 26 around 2 a.m. on Aug. 10, The State previously reported. During the traffic stop, he was critically injured when he was hit by a passing Home Depot box truck and succumbed to his injuries three days later.
After graduating from South Carolina Highway Patrol Class 123 in September 2023, Ricks began serving in Troop 7 in Orangeburg and Calhoun counties.
“As law enforcement officers, we are asked to be protectors, to be strong, brave and fearless,” Col. Christopher Williamson, highway patrol commander, said. “But today, it’s not about being strong or fearless. Today is about feeling the gravity of this loss, to honor who he was as a man and as a trooper, to acknowledge the impact he had made on so many people’s lives, and the unending love he had for his family.” Words from the from Matthew’s gospel were quoted several times.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God.”
At the service, Ricks’ brother-in-law and sister-in-law spoke of his generosity, his humor and his love of tacos.
“Dennis was my best friend,” Jade Ricks said at a press conference last week. “Marrying him was the best decision I have ever made in my lifetime. We were truly meant to be, and my heart will always belong to him.”
A bugler played “Taps” as helicopters flew overhead and Ricks received a 21-gun salute. Dispatch called into the funeral from patrol.
“End of watch. We have it from here.”
This story was originally published August 20, 2025 at 2:41 PM.
