William A. Holmes

Gila County Sheriff's Office — Globe, AZ

Felonious

End of Watch November 2, 1889

The Vigil Panel 10 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Deputy Sheriff William Holmes and Sheriff Glenn Reynolds were shot and killed and another deputy was shot and seriously wounded while taking several outlaws to the Yuma Territorial Prison in Yuma, Arizona. The deputies were overpowered when they let the prisoners out of the prison wagon to give the horses an easier walk on an incline. Two of the suspects were later killed and three others arrested and tried for the murders. The leader of the gang that murdered the two was known as the Apache Kid. The following year he was responsible for the murder of Chief Ben Williams, of the Bisbee Police Department. The Apache Kid was a former sergeant of the U.S. Army's Indian Scouts who assisted General George Crook in the capture of Geronimo. He was later charged with desertion and murder following a drunken riot in which several Indians were killed. In 1888, he was sent to Alcatraz, but his conviction was overturned one year later. Soon afterward, he and several other Indians were re-arrested and again convicted of the charges. While being transported to the Yuma Territorial Prison, they escaped, resulting in the murders of Sheriff Glenn Reynolds and Deputy William Holmes. For the next five years, the Apache Kid and his fellow warriors went along the U.S.-Mexican border, committing murders and other crimes along both sides of the border. The Apache Kid mysteriously disappeared in 1894.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-AZ-BC53B493
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Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

137 years is a long time for a name to go unread. Not today.
Deputy Sheriff Holmes served with the Gila County Sheriff's Office.
Thank you for your service to the Globe community. Gone but never to be forgotten.

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

Agency

Department Gila County Sheriff's Office

Location Globe, AZ

Platform Identity gcso.gila.az.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 2, 1889

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Two shot and killed

Deputy Sheriff William A. Holmes 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 AZ, 204 of 330 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 Gila County Sheriff's Office, 6 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.

Gila County Sheriff's Office

of 8 officers

75% Felonious

AZ — Statewide

204

of 330 officers

61.8% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious