Corporal Adam Samuel McMillan | Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office
Age: 42
Served: Almost 19 years
November 26, 2001 to October 23, 2020
OFFICER
Adam was born on September 6, 1978 to Kevin William McMillan and Rebecca Marie (Merchant) McMillan. He and his younger sister, Erin, grew up in North College Hill and attended St. Margaret Mary grade school and Roger Bacon High School.
Their father worked as a Hamilton County Special Deputy and later worked for Miami University and Silverton Police Departments. An uncle, Michael Justin McMillan, was a Dispatcher for Golf Manor, then a Patrolman for Elmwood Place, where he worked also with the Regional Enforcement Narcotics Unit, before transferring to Union Township. Their maternal grandmother, Mary Schreckenhofer, was an officer with the Springfield Township Police Department. And Mary’s father was also a police officer.
The blue blood flowed to the fourth generation when Adam and Erin attended the Great Oaks Police Academy beginning August 14, 2000. They both worked at Tri-County and Kenwood Mall in security while they attended the academy. On November 22, 2000, they became the first brother/sister duo to graduate from the academy.
In May 2000, both Adam and Erin began their careers as Xavier University Police Officers.
On November 26, 2001, Adam joined the Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office as a Corrections Officer. His strong work ethic and drive resulted in promotion to Patrol Clerk on May 6, 2004. He was then promoted to Patrol Officer four months later on September 23, 2004. By 2007 he was additionally assigned to the Heavy Weapons Unit. On April 11, 2013 Deputy McMillan was assigned as a Detective and transferred to Traffic Safety in Anderson Township. He was promoted to Traffic Safety Corporal on December 28, 2017, remaining in the Anderson Township Traffic Safety Unit.
Each year Corporal McMillan continued to be one of the more productive officers in the Traffic Safety Unit. During 2019, he investigated 218 crashes and accumulated 821 traffic contacts. On March 12, 2019, Deputy McMillan responded to a plane crash into a home and immediately began assisting Madeira officers with search, recovery, and investigation duties, earning a commendation from the Madeira Police Chief. On May 31, 2019 he responded to a man holding a gun to his head and threatening suicide. While unsuccessfully trying to talk the man out of killing himself, the man switched the firearm from his right hand to his left and Deputy McMillan instantly deployed his Taser, temporarily paralyzing the man. The man was secured and taken to the University Hospital Psych Unit. He routinely volunteered either to be on call or to assist with accidents outside his assigned area. He also volunteered as an Observer in the County’s Aviation Section helicopter squadron.
By the fall of 2020, Corporal McMillan served Hamilton County for 19 years, earned four Sheriff Commendations for his heroic efforts, saving lives, and/or taking dangerous drug dealers off the streets, and 21 other letters of appreciation and/or commendation. As one citizen remarked, “Corporal McMillan is an exemplary ambassador to your department and should be commended for his commitment to excellence.”
Corporal McMillan also participated three times in the Police Unity Tour, an annual event whereby he, along with hundreds of other law enforcement officers from around the county, over the span of several days, cycled from New Jersey to Washington D.C. (about 250 miles) to participate in Peace Officers Memorial Day ceremonies at the National Police Memorial honoring more than 22,000 officers who have died in the United States due to their service to our communities.
During the ceremonies of May 2021, “Adam S. McMillan” was added to the Memorial.
INCIDENT
As the sun was setting in the west, at 6:19 p.m., on October 8, 2020, Corporal McMillan was traveling westbound on SR-125 (Beechmont Avenue) approaching the intersection at Eight Mile Road in Cherry Grove. A Southern Ohio Regional Transit Authority (SORTA) bus was traveling eastbound on Beechmont approaching toward the same intersection in the left turn only lane. The bus entered the intersection with a green light which then changed to yellow. As the bus attempted to clear the intersection the traffic signal changed to red.
Corporal McMillan entered the intersection against a red light. He braked and swerved to the right in an attempt to avoid striking the bus but was not successful. He struck the right front portion of the bus with the left portion of his patrol car and careened to the north and came to a rest facing northbound, partially in the side parking lot of 8390 Beechmont Avenue and the northbound lane of Eight Mile Road.
Corporal McMillan sustained life-threatening injuries, including head trauma, and was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center by an Air Car helicopter.
DEATH
The next morning, Hamilton County Sheriff Jim Neil requested prayers for his deputy, reporting that Corporal McMillan was in Critical Condition and had not regained consciousness. As each day passed, the chances of his surviving the trauma diminished. Corporal McMillan remained in a coma for fifteen days before succumbing at 4:53 p.m. on October 23, 2020 at the age of 42.
Corporal McMillan was survived by his parents, retired Police Officer Kevin William McMillan and Rebecca Marie (John) Schweizer; sister, Golf Manor Police Officer Erin Lea (Jon Hilgeford) McMillan; uncle, retired Union Township Sergeant Michael Justin (Kimberly Sue) McMillan; and cousins, Christopher Ryan and Justin Michael McMillan.
Ohio Governor Michael DeWine ordered all American and Ohio flags flown at half-staff until October 31, 2022.
The next day, Corporal McMillan’s body was transported to Spring Grove Funeral Homes escorted in a procession of Hamilton County Honor Guard and deputies and Cincinnati Police and Hamilton County motorcycle officers. Once there, members of the Hamilton County Police Association Honor Guard stood by his remains around the clock.
A public visitation was held for four hours on Friday, October 30, 2020 at Spring Grove Funeral Homes at 4389 Spring Grove Avenue. A private funeral service was held on Saturday, October 31, 2020. A cortege of hundreds of law enforcement vehicles escorted him to Arlington Memorial Gardens Cemetery at 2145 Compton Road for burial.
The family requested that, in lieu of flowers, memorials be made to the Police Unity Tour, National Law Enforcement Officer Memorial Fund, or The Shield.
EPILOGUE
Police Officer Erin McMillan stayed with Xavier University for almost 14 years until May 1, 2014. She has since served part-time and full-time in the Cincinnati and Golf Manor Police Departments. Since May 22, 2022, she has served the City of Mt. Healthy as a Police Clerk and Reserve Officer.
If you know of any information, archives, artifacts, or images regarding this officer or incident, please contact the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum at Memorial@Police-Museum.org.
© This narrative was revised on September 6, 2025 by Cincinnati Police Lieutenant Stephen R. Kramer (Retired), Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society President/CEO. All rights are reserved to him and the Greater Cincinnati Police Museum.