Roll of Honor
Roland Silas Payne
Incident
Chief Payne suffered a fatal heart attack following a struggle with two suspects in which he was struck in the head with a flashlight. He and the Undersheriff of Wood County were transporting two juvenile suspects from Plymouth, Indiana, back to Wood County. During a fuel stop one of the suspects was able to steal a handgun from a store. As the vehicle neared Adams, Wisconsin, the prisoner fired a shot into the front of the car.
Chief Payne immediately jumped into the backseat and began struggling with the suspects as the Undersheriff stopped the car. The Undersheriff also began to struggle with the suspects but one of the prisoners was able to get out of the car and then ordered the two officers out at gunpoint. The prisoners then handcuffed the officers together and placed them in the back of the car. As the two began to drive away Chief Payne suffered the heart attack and slumped over in the backseat. The suspects stopped the car and left both officers on the side of the road. The suspects stopped at a nearby tavern and reported that two men had been hit by a car down the road, and then continued to flee.
The suspects were spotted the following day by a Michigan State Trooper, who chased them into a nearby woods. The suspects were apprehended after a large manhunt. The 14-year-old suspect was not charged because of his age. The 17-year-old suspect was charged with murder but the charges were reduced by a judge to armed robbery and assault. He was sentenced to three to ten years in a reformatory.
Chief Payne had been with the agency for 26 years.
Rest in peace Uncle Todd. Your service will always be honored.
Deb Gunther Great-great niece November 9th, 2014
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WI-C7696444- 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
26 years. You could have gone home.
Chief of Police Payne gave the Wisconsin Rapids Police Department 26 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Wisconsin Rapids community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Payne.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Roland Silas Payne 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 WI, 159 of 317 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50.2% of this state's fallen. That is 50.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Roland Silas Payne's cause is highlighted.
How Roland Silas Payne Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Roland Silas Payne is highlighted in Nov.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Roland Silas Payne was killed by blunt object; flashlight.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
0 officers from Wisconsin Rapids Police Department are honored on badge.nw.