CINCINNATI — Hamilton County Sheriff’s Deputy Larry Henderson was laid to rest on Friday.

What You Need To Know

  • Hamilton County Sheriff's Deputy Larry Henderson was laid to rest Friday

  • He killed while working a security detail on May 2, just months after he retired

  • Thousands came to show their respect

He was killed in the line of duty while working a security detail just months after retiring. 

Thousands of people from across the region came to pay their respects, show support and say goodbye. 

“It is now in the brotherhood and the sisterhood of our families," said Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey. "The deputy, Larry Henderson, is with us and we are with him.”

He was a man who friends say lived a life of compassion, not convenience. 

"Larry didn't care where someone came from," said Rabbi Mendy Kalmanson with the Hamilton County police clergy team. "What mattered to him was where they would go with love, support and someone who believed in them. That's who Larry was: someone who quietly, consistently chose to do good simply because it was the right thing to do."

Loved ones say he was always there to share a smile, crack a joke and to make the room laugh. 

“Through no fault of his own, Larry left a lot of things unfinished," District 5 Commander Lt. Dave Downing said. "There's a lawn that needs cut, a family that needs raised. There are people that need supported and cheered. Tomorrow, there will be an early morning briefing that needs a wisecrack and a laugh to get things started. Somebody may even need a snake bite now and then.” 

Henderson served in the U.S. Marine Corps and three decades with the sheriff’s department. 

He worked with the academy, the bomb squad and several security details around the city. Most recently, he and his wife became foster parents. 

“It is then, in the darkest of times, that we must grab on to each other so as to not lose our way," McGuffey said.

As thousands of people hold his memory close to their hearts, those close to him want his mission to continue. 

“Look to society's helpless and hurting," Downing said. "Look for all the ones Larry always looked after. We know the mission. We know the job: protect and serve. Will you finish the shift? Will you join me as I look to Larry and say, 'go home, I got it’"?

Here are some photos from Friday:

Related Stories