Henry H. Heard
Agency patch
Police Officer

Henry H. Heard

Dora Police Department — Dora, AL
Felonious
End of Watch October 20, 1923
Age 27
The Vigil Panel 46 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Henry Heard was shot and killed as he, his partner, and a civilian volunteer went to investigate a suspected bootlegger. The civilian, who asserted that the suspect was selling alcohol to his brother, volunteered to attempt to buy whiskey so that the officers could arrest the suspect for bootlegging. Officer Heard went with the civilian in plain clothes to the back door of the house while his partner waited by the front door. When the suspect answered the back door, he and Officer Heard exchanged shots. Officer Heard was killed instantly, and the suspect was wounded. Officer Heard's partner ran towards the back of the home upon hearing the shots, but the suspect managed to escape. He was later captured and charged with the murder of Officer Heard. He confessed to the killing, saying that he had mistaken Officer Heard for one of a group of men who had attacked him earlier in the day and was sentenced to life in prison. His half-brother, James Heard, was also shot and killed in the line of duty on September 24, 1906, while serving as a Fulton County Office of Inspector of Roads and Bridges in Georgia.

Survivors

Officer Heard was survived by his wife, an infant son, his parents, four sisters, two half-sisters, and four brothers, one of whom served as a Dora police sergeant.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-862BD1FB
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Heard served with the Dora Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Dora community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Heard.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Dora, Walker County, AL
Platform Identity dpd.walker.al.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 20, 1923
Age 27
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Police Officer Henry H. Heard is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In AL, 405 of 643 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 63% of this state's fallen. That is 63 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Dora Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Felonious
AL — Statewide
405
of 643 officers
63% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Henry H. Heard's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Henry H. Heard Compares

Age at Death
27
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Henry H. Heard is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Henry H. Heard was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Dora Police Department are honored on badge.nw.