- Billy Sollie
“ My father was my hero and I wanted to make him proud ,” Sollie said . “ Having him instill in me that you can be that guy or girl who is at the right place at the right moment to make a difference in somebody ’ s life . He just instilled that in me and I knew as a law enforcement officer , I could do that .” With his dedication and determination , Sollie rose up the ranks of the police department , eventually serving as assistant chief then police chief in 1993 . He retired the following year at age 39 after working for the department for more than 20 years . “ I was police chief for 18 months . I ’ ve been sheriff for 28 years , and people still call me Chief Sollie ,” he said , jokingly . Becoming police chief was a proud moment for him and his family . “ When I became police chief , I tell folks , I thought you couldn ’ t get any better ,” he said . “ The Meridian Police Department was known statewide because of what the men and women were doing as a leader in law enforcement .” From the police department , he went to the Meridian Public School District , where he served as the district ’ s first security coordinator from August 1994 until he took office as the Lauderdale County sheriff in January 1996 . “ At that point and time , in Lauderdale County ’ s history , only one person had served three terms as sheriff ,” said Sollie , who served out seven consecutive terms as sheriff before his retirement . Going from around 100 officers at the police department to less than 50 deputies and correctional officers at the sheriff ’ s department was challenging . “ I tell people the first PC computer that the sheriff ’ s department had , I won in a door prize . That ’ s how far the county government has allowed the sheriff ’ s department to progress ,” he said . The department now employs 135 people , including patrol officers , school resource officers , correctional officers and civilian staff . The role of sheriff also carries with it gut-wrenching moments , too , with Sollie saying multiple mass tragedies occurred during his 28 years .
He recalled three teenagers killed in a car wreck on Good Friday early in his career . Two sets of quadruple homicides occurred under his watch . But , perhaps , the hardest was the morning of July 8 , 2003 , when an assembly line worker at the Lockheed Martin plant shot 14 of his co-workers , killing six before shooting himself . By that afternoon , Sollie was being interviewed by international news organizations .
‘ It ’ s been a fabulous career . I have been blessed to have men and women around me that had the right mindset .’
- Billy Sollie
Life changing events Good things happened over the years , too , including three momentous things in his personal life while he was with the police department . First , he met his wife , Diann , who joined the department as an officer when he was serving as an investigator . “ We actually met over a shooting ,” said Sollie , telling one of his favorite stories . “ She was originally from Jackson , and Jackson Police Department had a hiring freeze . Her sister lived in Meridian and said ‘ Hey , come over and take the ( entrance ) test for practice .’ She took the test and got hired ,” he said . “ That Saturday , she and her partner responded to a shooting call , identified the suspect , recovered the gun and had to turn the gun over to the investigator , which was me .” He instantly was smitten and asked her out . He said he knew from the moment of their first date that she was the one . “ I had only seen her in a uniform with her hair in a bun ,” he said . “ When I opened the door that evening and she was standing there with her hair down and in blue jeans , I was like it ’ s over .’” They married 40 years ago on Tax Day , April 15 , 2023 . Secondly , Diann , who had a four-year degree from the University of Southern Mississippi when they met , pushed him to pursue his education . She went on to get her master ’ s degree in counseling and currently is semi-retired as a professor at Meridian and East Central community colleges . “ I ended up finishing my associate ’ s degree at MCC and enrolled in the University of Southern Mississippi ’ s criminal
24 • MERIDIAN LIFE