ROCKINGHAM, N.C. — Richmond County Sheriff James Clemmons died at his home in Rockingham, county officials announced Thursday.
Richmond County government offered condolences in a Facebook post, calling Clemmons “a great friend to all and an awesome leader in our community.”
Clemmons was hired as a patrol deputy in 1989 and was elected sheriff in 2010, becoming the first person of color elected to the post in Richmond County, news outlets report.
Clemmons served as president of the North Carolina Sheriffs’ Association from 2018 to 2019 and was appointed to Gov. Roy Cooper’s Task Force for Racial Equity in Criminal Justice.
Officials have not yet determined the cause of Clemmons’ death.
