FBI Director Kash Patel has sent prayers and condolences to the family of Crittenden County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Coyle, who died Thursday morning from injuries he suffered when he was shot in the line of duty nearly four weeks earlier.
Coyle, 58, passed away at home surrounded by family on April 30, 2026. He was shot on April 2 while serving emergency guardianship paperwork at a residence in Sturgis and had been on life support.
According to the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office, deputies went to a home on the 2800 block of KY-365 around 5 p.m. on April 2 to deliver the papers along with staff from the Kentucky Department of Community Based Services. When they arrived, 60-year-old Ronnie Phillips opened fire.
Phillips shot Coyle. Deputies returned fire and killed Phillips at the scene. A female victim inside the home was safely removed. No other officers or civilians were hurt.
Coyle was airlifted to Deaconess Midtown Hospital in Evansville, Indiana, with critical injuries that included a gunshot wound to the head. He fought for 28 days before he died.
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On Thursday, the sheriff’s office put out a statement saying that the officer had died. It said, “This morning, Crittenden County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Coyle died from injuries he got when he was shot while on duty on April 2, 2026.” “Deputy Coyle died this morning at his home with family by his side.”
Coyle had served in law enforcement for 30 years. He spent 28 years with the Chicago Police Department, including time on the SWAT team, before retiring.
He then moved to Kentucky and joined the Crittenden County Sheriff’s Office two years ago as a school resource officer at Crittenden County High School.
The sheriff’s office said Coyle was a valued member of the department. It thanked the public and surrounding communities for their support during the past four weeks and asked for privacy for his family as they grieve.
Coyle will be laid to rest with full line-of-duty honors and benefits. Funeral details were not released immediately.
FBI Director Kash Patel posted a memorial on X honoring Coyle. The post included condolences to law enforcement partners and the fallen officer’s family.
“The FBI sends our prayers and condolences to Deputy Coyle’s family, friends, and colleagues left behind. They will have our full support,” the message read in part.
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Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear also addressed the death. “Today we lost Crittenden County Sheriff’s Deputy Rick Coyle, who succumbed to his injuries after being shot in the line of duty in early April,” Beshear said. “Deputy Coyle sacrificed everything protecting our commonwealth, and we are forever grateful to him.”
Other law enforcement agencies across the state and country shared tributes. The Kentucky State Police, which investigated the shooting, joined in mourning the loss.
The April 2 incident remains under review by the Kentucky State Police Critical Incident Response Team as standard procedure in officer-involved shootings.
His death marks another line-of-duty fatality for law enforcement in Kentucky in recent years.
On September 16, 2024, Joshua Phipps (Russell County Sheriff’s Office) was also shot and killed while pursuing a suspect.
Coyle was a steady officer
Friends and coworkers have remembered the deceased as a reliable officer who brought years of experience from big cities to a small rural department.
The sheriff’s office noted the outpouring of support from the community. “We are deeply grateful for all of the support we have received from the public and surrounding communities during this difficult time,” the statement said.
Coyle is survived by his wife. No other family members were named in official releases.
The department said it will release more information about funeral arrangements when they are finalized.
