By Baptist Message staff
HINESTON, La. (LBM) – Former Rapides Parish Sheriff William Earl Hilton died from injuries sustained from a hit-and run incident March 23 leaving a huge void in Central Louisiana and law enforcement community in the state.
According to the RPSO, their office received a call just before 1 p.m. on Monday that a hit-and-run had taken place in the Hineston area. Hilton was found with severe injuries and was airlifted to Rapides General Hospital.
The release went on to say the suspect intentionally fled the scene. Deputies and troopers attempted to make a traffic stop on LA 28 near Leavines Road but the suspect refused and left the scene at a high rate of speed.
Following a high-speed chase with speeds of more than 100 mph, spike strips were deployed on LA 28 near Cloverleaf Boulevard in Alexandria where the arrest of the suspect took place without further issue.
Hilton, who was a member of Homewood Baptist Church, Alexandria, served in law enforcement for more than 50 years, including 16 years as RPSO sheriff. He also was a member of the Louisiana National Guard for six years, and was inducted into the Louisiana Justice Hall of Fame in 2006 and Louisiana Political Hall of Fame in 2020.
Jimmy Koonce, pastor with Homewood Baptist, told the Baptist Message that in 2012 Hilton turned to Christ during a Sunday worship service and was baptized soon after. During this time at Homewood Baptist, Hilton served as its head of security. His wife, Billie, is the church treasurer.
“On Sunday morning, he sat in the foyer to make sure everyone was safe and okay,” Koonce recalled. “He was always a very quieting, comforting presence.
“He was always a people person, and we have been so blessed to have him in our church,” he continued. “He could have gone to any church in Alexandria, but the Lord brought him here. And we’re glad that He did.
“He was somebody that if someone talked to him about an issue, he cared,” he said. “If he could, he would help them. The legacy to our church and central Louisiana is phenomenal. As the days go by, we will hear more and more of the impact he has had on individuals and our community as a whole.”
Stewart Holloway, pastor with First Baptist Church, Pineville, was among those who took to Facebook to share memories of interactions with Hilton.
Holloway said he first met Hilton as an eight-year-old attending a visitation at Hixson Brothers Funeral Home in Alexandria.
“For some reason, that moment is frozen in my memory,” he wrote. “I can still picture exactly where I was standing. William Earl seemed nine feet tall to me. Then he stooped down, took this pin off his own tie, and placed it on my lapel.
“In that instant, I felt like I grew a foot.
“For the next couple of years, I wore that little badge as a tie tack or lapel pin. I’m sure Sheriff Hilton gave away hundreds of those pins over the years, quietly making boys and girls feel seen and special. But to me, that one meant the world.
“Sheriff Hilton always knew my name — whether I was a kid, a teenager, or an adult. He was consistently kind, approachable, and helpful. He gave his life to law enforcement and willingly stepped into dangerous situations to serve others. How tragic that his life ended the way it did. He should have had many more good years ahead.
“(My wife) Rebecca and I are praying for Mrs. Billie, the Hilton family, and the many people whose lives were shaped and mentored by Sheriff Hilton.
Today, I’ll wear this pin grateful for a small act of kindness from a very ‘big’ man.”
A broken-hearted Mark Wood, the present Rapides Parish Sheriff, remember Hilton as his teacher but more importantly “a dear friend.”
He posted on his Facebook page. “I have been blessed to have a lot of great people in my life. Today I lost one that was not only a friend but a mentor. I was blessed enough to be able to call him many different titles throughout my life but Friend was the most important!
“Sheriff Hilton and I spoke just about everyday, some days it ended in a laugh and some days not so much but there was always tomorrow’s phone call.
“I will miss tomorrow’s phone call Boss, thank you for everything you have done for the department, the parish and all of us in it,” Wood wrote.
In a statement on its Facebook page, the RPSO offered its sympathies to Hilton and those he knew him.
“It is with such deep and profound sadness that we share the news that former Sheriff William E. Hilton was the victim in today’s hit and run in Hineston. The facts of the incident are still under investigation.
We are also devastated to report Sheriff Hilton has passed away from those traumatic injuries he sustained in this horrible and senseless event.
“Sheriff Hiltons leadership, dedication, and service to our community have left a lasting impact, and we know this loss will be felt by many parish, state and even country wide.
Please keep his family, friends and the RPSO Family in your thoughts and prayers as we navigate this difficult time together.”
