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Longtime chaplain retires from IMPD

Patricia Holman was the first African American female deputy chief within the department.

INDIANAPOLIS — When Patricia Holman joined IMPD, she joined to "fight crime."

For 32 years, she served as a patrol officer, moving through the ranks, later becoming the first African American female deputy chief within the department.

Unbeknownst to Holman, her path would soon change.

Former IMPD Chief Rick Hite asked her if she would be interested in working in the chaplain's office.

"I said absolutely not," Holman said. "No thank you."

At the time, she worked with the Police Officer Support Team, also referred to as "POST."

"I've been connected to a pager for a long time, and I was ready to give that up," Holman said. "Did not want to do it again. So I told him no and I left, and on the way home I had this extensive conversation with God. If you've ever had one of them you know when God says 'Go,' it's kind of best to just do what he says."

Credit: IMPD

She became a chaplain within IMPD for the last six years, offering support to other officers or meeting with families who just lost a loved one.

"I had no idea that the chaplain's office dealt with as many natural deaths as they do," Holman said. "Almost all of them in the Marion County area, the chaplain's office responds to. That's a lot, and now homicides being what they are, it's a lot of that as well."

As a chaplain, her job was to bring peace in the midst of someone else's storm.

"Before I took the position, I prayed to have peace with it. To be able to go home at night and not think about it. I prayed for that, and God gave it to me for the most part," she said.

Credit: WTHR

Holman has helped countless family members through some of the toughest, darkest, and emotional times.

For example, offering prayers during a January 2021 vigil for six people murdered.

"One of the worst things I've ever responded to having a whole family, not just killed, but being killed by another family member," Holman said. "I pray for our officers, 'God shield their eyes from things. Shield their hearts.'"

Holman said over the years, some incidents became too hard to let go.

"When Breann Leath died, I can't shake that off. I can't not think about that. I knew her, so that is something that is going to stay with me," Holman said. "When I went to FedEx, I spent 17 hours in a room with people who were waiting to hear about their loved ones. I'm never going to forget that."

Credit: IMPD

Holman said, as a chaplain, you don't always have to say or do anything. Sometimes just being there makes a world of difference.

"Chaplaincy is really very natural," Holman said. "You either can do it or you don't. For new chaplains, I tell them if you're not already ministering to people, this isn't for you. It's for people who care about people, who minister to people naturally."

Holman retires on Friday. She said she plans to spend time with family and travel across the United States with her sister.

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