Corporal Ritchie was shot and killed when he interrupted a robbery in progress at a local convenience store. He was in uniform, en route to work, when he stopped at the store to buy coffee. A suspect was inside robbing the store and disarmed Corporal Ritchie when he entered. The suspect then shot him with his own service weapon.
Corporal Ritchie had served with the East Baton Rouge Parish Sheriff's Office for only 10 months and was survived by his wife and child.