James Earl Holcombe
Agency patch
Chief of Police

James Earl Holcombe

Greenville Police Department — Greenville, SC
Felonious
End of Watch May 30, 1915
Age 53
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Chief James Holcombe succumbed to gunshot wounds received 19 days earlier during a barricade situation. Another officer had been shot and wounded by the man and Chief Holcombe and other officers attempted to make a forced entry. As they did so the suspect fired through a window, fatally wounding Chief Holcombe. The other officers shot and wounded the suspect who died from his wounds a month later.

Survivors

Chief Holcombe was survived by his wife and four children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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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.
Chief of Police Holcombe gave the Greenville Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the Greenville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Holcombe.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Greenville, Greenville County, SC
Platform Identity greenvillepd.greenville.sc.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 30, 1915
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Age 53
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

James is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1915, 152 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 26th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

James was 53. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. James had served 19 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

May holds 8% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Greenville Police Department has 12 officers remembered here, James among them.

Chief of Police James Earl Holcombe

Greenville Police Department · End of Watch May 30, 1915

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 38-E

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