Texas deputy killed in crash while transporting inmate – Law Officer

CENTERVILLE, Texas – The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office in Texas sadly announced the death of Deputy Charles Rivette. He died in a crash on Wednesday that also saw another deputy and an inmate who was being transported seriously injured.

“Sheriff Henderson expresses his profound sorrow and extends condolences to the family, friends, and colleagues of Deputy Rivette. The Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office family is lifting up Deputy Rivette, Deputy Francis and the injured inmate in our prayers. The entire MCSO family is hurting from this loss and stands together in mourning the passing of Deputy Rivette,” the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office said in a news release, according to FOX 26 Houston.

The Officer Down Memorial Page offered the following details:

Deputy Sheriff Charles Rivette was killed in a crash on southbound Interstate 45 in Centerville, Texas, at 10:30 p.m.

Deputy Rivette was a passenger in a patrol vehicle transporting an inmate from Oklahoma to Montgomery County when it struck a tractor-trailer. Unable to stop, two tractor-trailers crashed into the back of the patrol vehicle. The impact forced the vehicle into the northbound lanes. Deputy Rivette was thrown out of the vehicle and was hit by a pickup truck traveling in the northbound lanes. The other deputy, the inmate, and one of the tractor-trailer drivers also suffered serious injuries.

Deputy Rivette had served with the Montgomery County Sheriff’s Office for 18 years. He is survived by his wife and children. His son also serves with the agency.

Sheriff Rand Henderson said Francis and Rivette were partners who often worked together doing inmate transfers and that they had been in that unit for several years, NBC 5 DFW reported.

The sheriff said Rivette is the department’s first line of duty death since 1876 and that they’re figuring out how to cope with the loss.

Rivette has an adult son who began working for the department in December 2023 as a jailer.

“He’s a brand new employee. He was with us last night with his mother. We’re having a tough time. He’s strong. He’s going to be strong for his mother,” Sheriff Henderson said.

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