Richard Rudy Raczkoski

Richard Rudy Raczkoski (d. September 23, 1986) served as a deputy with the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office and was known in his community for his commitment to public service. In his late twenties at the time of his death, Raczkoski balanced the responsibilities of law enforcement with his family obligations; public records note he left behind a son, Matthew, who was born after his death.

Colleagues and county records remember Raczkoski for answering calls in the small hours and for the steady presence expected of a local deputy. His service is recorded in law-enforcement memorials and legal documents that also reflect the community’s sorrow at the loss of a young officer. Local reporting and county histories mark him as the only Indian River County deputy killed in the line of duty, and his sacrifice prompted recognition from law-enforcement groups and discussion in the community for years afterward.

Though many details of his private life are not part of the public record, the verified facts speak to a man whose life was shaped by service and family. He was 29 at the time of his death, and his name continues to appear in remembrances tied to the sheriff’s office and legal records concerning the subsequent prosecution. That record is a reminder that behind each entry in official files is a person—someone’s husband or partner, someone’s father—whose absence was deeply felt by family, friends, and the department he served.

This page honors Richard Rudy Raczkoski’s life and service. It acknowledges the limits of the public record while affirming that his life mattered to those who knew him and to the community he protected.