Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Thomas Raymond Hayes

Columbus Division of Police — Columbus, OH

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch January 20, 2011

Age 61

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

The Vigil Panel 159 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 58

Incident

Police Officer Tom Hayes succumbed to complications of a gunshot wound sustained 31 years earlier while attempting to arrest two teens on a curfew violation.

He had responded to a local convenience store after receiving reports of a disturbance by the two teens at 2:25 a.m. The boys had been drinking, smoking marijuana, and had taken LSD. As Officer Hayes attempted to arrest them, a scuffle ensued in which one of the boys pulled out a handgun and shot him in the back. The wound caused him to become paralyzed below the waist.

Officer Hayes continued to suffer serious health issues as a result of the wound, including the amputation of one of his legs six years prior to his death. In March 2011, Officer Hayes' death was ruled a homicide by the Franklin County Coroner.

One youth was found guilty of delinquency charges and committed to the Ohio Youth Commission. The juvenile, who shot Officer Hayes, was tried as an adult and convicted of felonious assault and carrying a concealed weapon. He served almost 24 years in prison before being released in 2004.

Officer Hayes was a United States Army veteran. Prior to being shot, he had served with the Columbus Division of Police for seven years. Despite his wounds and health issues, Officer Hayes continued to work as a civilian sketch artist for the agency.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-DCAB55D9
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Thomas is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Police Officer Hayes gave the Columbus Division of Police 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Columbus community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Columbus Division of Police

Type Other

Location Columbus, OH

Platform Identity cdpd.franklin.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch January 20, 2011

Tour of Duty 7 yrs

Age 61

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Military Service

Thomas Raymond Hayes served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Thomas Raymond Hayes 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In OH, 572 of 991 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 57.7% of this state's fallen. That is 57.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Columbus Division of Police, 36 of 59 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 61% of this agency's fallen.

Columbus Division of Police

of 59 officers

61% Felonious

OH — Statewide

572

of 991 officers

57.7% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious