Dayton officer shot in head last year receives national honor

DALLAS, TX — A Dayton police officer injured in the line of duty just over a year ago is receiving national attention.

Officer Thadeu Holloway was named the International Association of Chiefs of Police (IACP)/AXON Police Officer of the Year Monday.

Holloway was honored for “exceptional achievement” during the IACP annual conference in Dallas, Texas. The award “elevates the recognition of these acts to the global stage thereby impacting the profession as a whole by highlighting those who exemplify selflessness, empathy, and strength of character.”

>> ‘I was hanging on for dear life’; Dayton officer shot in head speaks on recovery

Holloway was working a fraud call on Sept. 21, 2021, when investigators said Antwyane Lowe, 40, of Dayton grabbed a handgun during the scuffle and shot at him in the head.

News Center 7 spoke with Holloway and his wife, Amanda, exactly a year after the incident. He said he knew what was happening through the whole incident.

“I knew I’d been shot, obviously. I fell to the ground, I never lost consciousness, I knew what happened. I knew what I had to do, so after I had returned fire, I was in my head thinking, ‘I’m going to die,’” Holloway said.

Another officer put Holloway in a cruiser and got him to Miami Valley Hospital in under four minutes.

A year later, he told us he’s 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.

>> Dayton officer shot in head in September earns officer of the year award

When we spoke with Holloway last month, he said he was on light duty and and focused 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.

Holloway was name the Officer of the Year by the Montgomery County Association of Police Chiefs on January.

©2022 Cox Media Group