AD Heard

AD Heard, born on October 4, 1941, in Elaine, Arkansas, passed away on March 8, 2026, at his residence in Nettleton, Mississippi, surrounded by his children. He was 84.

A trailblazer in every sense, AD began his law enforcement career in 1978 as a police officer in Chicago, Illinois. After a back injury sustained while working as a truck driver, he returned to his calling in public service and joined the Nettleton Police Department. His dedication and leadership were recognized when he became the first Black elected police chief in Nettleton, an achievement the town honored by declaring February 7th as a day in his name each year.

Preceded in death by his parents, Martha Mae Trass and Nathaniel Heard, his siblings Verdia White, Bernice Moss, Nathaniel Jr. Heard, Cecil Heard, and King Heard, and his daughter Rosette Heard, AD is survived by his children: AD Jr., Detrice, Martha, Basheba, Archie, Ashley Hampton, King, Jon, Jessica, Mary, Martha Mae, Elizabeth, Joseph, and Cecil. He leaves behind numerous grandchildren, nieces, nephews, and many friends who cherished his kindness, courage, and steadfast commitment to justice and equality.