Roy F. "Doc" Holley

Lake County Sheriff's Dept. — Crown Point, IN

Felonious

End of Watch January 16, 1933

Age 43

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

The Vigil Panel 65 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 6

Incident

Sheriff Roy Holley was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a farmer who had shot and killed a neighboring farmer in Ross Township. The neighbor was cutting down a tree, and the suspect mistakenly thought the tree was on his property. Sheriff Holley and four deputies entered the man's home and told him he was under arrest. The suspect ran up the stairs with the officers in pursuit. As Sheriff Holley neared the top, the man turned and fired a shotgun, striking Sheriff Holley twice. The deputies grabbed the sheriff and retreated to a back porch. As they attempted to move him to the vehicle, the man came out and opened fire on them a second time, wounding three deputies. The suspect eventually committed suicide after a four-hour shootout with authorities in which four Gary police officers were wounded. Sheriff Holley had served with the Lake County Sheriff's Department for four years, having just begun serving his second term as the 31st sheriff of Lake County. He was survived by his wife, who was appointed sheriff to serve the remainder of her husband's term, and twin 16-year-old daughters. Sheriff Holley's wife was the second female to serve as a sheriff in the state of Indiana. Sheriff Holley is buried in Beaver City Cemetery, Newton County, Indiana.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, who was appointed sheriff to serve the remainder of her husband's term, and twin 16-year-old daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IN-AF4703E9
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Sheriff Holley gave the Lake County Sheriff's Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Crown Point community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sheriff Holley.

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

Agency

Department Lake County Sheriff's Dept.

Location Crown Point, IN

Platform Identity lcso.lake.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 16, 1933

Tour of Duty 4 yrs

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Shotgun

Offender Committed suicide

Sheriff Roy F. "Doc" Holley is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In IN, 311 of 503 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61.8% of this state's fallen. That is 7.6 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

At Lake County Sheriff's Dept., 3 of 7 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 42.9% of this agency's fallen.

Lake County Sheriff's Dept.

of 7 officers

42.9% Felonious

IN — Statewide

311

of 503 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious