Dixie County Sheriff’s captain killed in line of duty

By John M. Ayers

Dixie County Sheriff’s Captain Chad Reed was killed in the line of duty Thursday afternoon when a Brooksville homicide suspect stopped in Cross City at King’s BP convenience store on US 19.
Dixie County Sheriff Dewey Hatcher reported several sheriff’s deputies followed the suspect into Cross City and when he pulled into the convenience store at the intersection of US 19, three deputies exchanged gun fire with John Kalisz, 55, after the suspect pulled alongside the gas pumps at the service lane.
The deputies called for an ambulance to come to the scene to provide emergency medical assistance to Captain Reed who had been wounded in the gun fire. Reed was rushed by ambulance to Trenton and then flown to a Gainesville hospital where he was later reported to have passed away.
Law enforcement officers, friends, and colleagues of Reed from throughout the tri-county area were saddened Thursday night when his death was made public.
Reed had grown up in Dixie County serving with his father as a volunteer firefighter in the Jena-Steinhatchee area while in school.
He made community service his life, serving the public in many roles as Dixie County Emergency Director, Clerk of Courts and most recently when he became a law enforcement officer.
In September 2009 Reed became a member of the FBI National Academy’s 238th graduation class.
Reed’s funeral service was held Sunday afternoon. Hundreds attended the service, wich was held at First Baptist Church in Cross City.
Reed’s family pastor, Mike Brown, told those mourning the death of their loved one and friend, “Chad Reed presented the greatest sermon on life that Dixie County will ever hear.”
Pastor Brown went on to explain that in the Bible’s 15th chapter and 13th verse of the book of John is this statement: “Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
The Brooksville man, John Kalisz survived the shooting, and he was reportedly in stable condition at Shands Hospital in Gainesville. He shot four women in Hernando County; two of these women died and a third victim was critically injured and lost an unborn child as a result of the shooting.