Idaho Medal of Honor Recipient
August 4, 2021

Sergeant Kevin Holtry
Boise City Police Department

On the afternoon of November 11, 2016, Sergeant Kevin Holtry and Sergeant Chris Davis with the Boise Police Department’s Special Operations Unit, responded to a search for a wanted, violent parolee in a Boise neighborhood.  The suspect was wanted in connection with four shootings and a carjacking in the days before.  The suspect had eluded patrol officers in the stolen vehicle before abandoning it and fleeing on foot.  When the Special Operations Unit arrived, they began to clear the neighborhood.  Sergeant Holtry and Sergeant Davis knew the suspect was armed and dangerous and that he posed threat to anyone he encountered.    Sergeant Holtry took the lead position, followed by Sergeant Davis, understanding how dangerous it is to be in the lead positions of a search, and that they could be shot.  As they moved to clear a backyard, Sergeant Holtry was ambushed by the suspect who was crouched down, hiding behind two trash receptacles near a fence.  The suspect began firing and shot Sergeant Holtry five times, immediately paralyzing him below the waist.  Sergeant Davis was shot once.  Sergeant Davis and other members of the Special Operations Unit returned fire, killing the suspect.  Sergeant Holtry suffered multiple life-threatening injuries and ultimately lost his left leg below the knee.

Through indomitable courage, complete disregard for his own safety, and profound concern for the safety of others, Sergeant Kevin Holtry showed great determination and bravery.  Sergeant Kevin Holtry’s extraordinary heroism and intrepidity, with danger to his own life above and beyond the call of duty, are in the highest traditions of the Boise Police Department and Idaho law enforcement.