DEC 2022. Blues Vol 38 No. 12

Family Matters His wife

Family Matters His wife Amanda Holloway was home with their two girls when she got the phone call. When she turned on Main Street and saw the street covered with police cars, she knew that wasn’t a good sign. All she could do was wait while doctors worked on his injuries. “The bullet hit right here on my temple, and traveled underneath the skin and then came out here,” Thadeu recalled. Recovery has been a long, difficult, and ongoing process. Holloway said he is still dealing with a traumatic brain injury, memory issues and headaches. He also has trouble finding words, has ringing in his ear and some hearing, as well as vision loss. Law enforcement has always been a part of Thadeu and Amanda’s life. She started as a dispatcher 19 years ago and now works in the administrative office at the Huber Heights (Ohio) Police Division. Thadeu joined the National Guard in high school and got deployed three times. He spent nine years as a Dayton police officer. “In January 2022 I actually fought with my doctors to at least go back to work, they wanted me stay off work a little longer and I couldn’t stay off,” he said. He’s now on light duty, 20 hours a week. In the meantime, his memories have brought him back to the night of the shooting every time an officer in our area has been shot on the job. “Definitely brings back the night of my shooting, makes me feel guilty that I survived and some of them didn’t, and it just makes me realize how dangerous being a police officer is,” Thadeu said. For now, he is focusing on his family. “My goal is to just be able to take care of my family, whatever that entails, you know whether it’s going back out to the streets or going a different avenue, I just want to make sure I’m still here, still able to take care of my family for you know a long time,” he said. Help on the Homefront Although Officer Holloway has now returned to light duty, the last few months have been a challenging period of time in which the main focus continues to be primarily on recovery. The inability to work clearly impacted everyday needs. One of those needs included a new roof which was out of question, until now. Thanks to DryTech Exteriors ‘Roofs For Troops’ program, construction on his new roof went from start to finish in one day. “I’m not a veteran because I want accolades, I didn’t become a cop to get accolades,” Officer Holloway said. “Unfortunately, what happened with me as a police officer was a tragic incident…The fact that there’s a company out there willing to show their appreciation for that is awesome.” Officer Holloway was selected out of 100 nominees. “So many heroes in our community, you just don’t realize the stories that they carry of their service and sacrifice to our country,” Allie Hosler, co-owner of DryTech Exteriors, said. “To also be a police officer, who was shot in the head in the line of duty, we owe him so much. Putting a roof over his head is the least we can do.” Brad Hosler, who co-owns the company alongside his wife, said that Officer Holloway’s new roof is expected to last thirty years. Awards and Recognition Just a few days after his release from the hospital, Officer Thadeu Holloway attended the Annual Montgomery County (Ohio) Law Enforcement Memorial Ceremony which honors the 40 officers county-wide who have died in the line of duty. Along with honoring those officer’s sacrifices, those in attendance also took time to speak with Holloway. “Haven’t we just witnessed in these last days the transformation of tragedy into triumph?” Keynote speaker Dr. Col. Kathy Platoni asked during her speech. “This, Officer Holloway, is what valor, courage and true heroism look like.” In addition, the Montgomery County Association of Police Chiefs named him officer of the year. The officers and those in attendance gave Holloway a round of applause and many took time after the ceremony to greet him and wish him well. “The officer fell to the ground and immediately re-turned fire with five rounds, striking the suspect multiple times. Despite his injuries, the officer was able to effectively request assistance for himself and the wounded suspect,” Interim Director and Chief Matt Carper said. “The officer also provided for the safety of witnesses and bystanders by directing them to a place of safety.” Carper said 64 The BLUES The BLUES 65