Before the badge, Roy Harrington served in the National Guard. It was there he forged a bond with Joseph Frost, who eventually introduced him to the legendary duo Chris Redfield and Forest Speyer. The four were inseparable—a brotherhood of "weekend warriors" who spent their leave time on motorcycles, beer, and high-adrenaline mischief. When the Spencer Mansion Incident occurred in July 1996, Roy watched from the sidelines as his brothers were sent into the dark. Joseph never came back. Forest survived, but the man who returned was a hollow shell of himself. Traumatized and broken, Forest retired from S.T.A.R.S., unable to cope with the horrors he witnessed. Roy felt a crushing sense of guilt, believing he should have been there to pull them out.

By 1998, the R.P.D. was in a state of quiet crisis. With most of the original S.T.A.R.S. members dead, missing, or in exile, Brad Vickers was left holding the pieces. Under the direction of Marvin Branagh, a new, provisional S.T.A.R.S. unit was formed to stabilize the city’s growing unrest. Roy was one of the first recruited. Alongside Peyton Wells, Rita Phillips, and Marvin, Roy became the sergeant of the West Precinct. His role was clear: protect the civilians and find the truth. While the city was distracted by small riots, Roy began working with a civilian contact named John. Together, they investigated the disappearance of the city's homeless population near the sewers. Roy realized too late that they weren't just missing—they were the early test subjects for the leak.

| Time | Event | | --- | --- | | Sept 23, 11:30 AM | Roy watches Dehne, Charlie, and Ya Lan deploy on their "recon" mission. He gives Charlie a nod, not knowing it's the last time he'll see the Special Ops team intact. | | Sept 24, 02:00 AM | The R.P.D. East Wing is breached. Roy orders the remaining patrolmen to fall back. | | Sept 25, 04:00 PM | The Lockdown: To keep his contact John safe from the "cannibals" now roaming the halls, Roy locks him in the basement holding cells. "Stay quiet, stay safe," Roy told him. "I'm coming back for you." | | Sept 25, 11:00 PM | The Injury: During a desperate push to clear the West Wing corridor, Roy is attacked by an *Afflicted He takes a deep, jagged wound to the stomach. |

In the early hours of the morning, a motorcycle shatters the glass of the main lobby. Elza Speyer—a racing enthusiast and college student—skids across the tile, escaping a horde of zombies outside. Roy, clutching his bleeding abdomen, stumbles into the lobby. His eyes widen as he sees recognized her, The resemblance to Forest is unmistakable.

Roy, running on pure adrenaline and guilt, drags the unconscious Elza through the West Wing. He manages to get her into the S.T.A.R.S. Office Safe Room. He lays her on a cot. He leaves her an R.P.D. tactical vest, extra pouches, and a Remington 870 shotgun. He tucks a combat knife into her belt.

Three hours pass. The station is quiet, save for the scratching at the door and the hum of the security monitors. Roy sits heavily in the swivel chair, his hand pressed firmly against the dark red stain on his shirt. He winces, looking at the monitor showing John pacing in his cell in the basement. He has to save him, but his strength is fading.

He hears a groan from the cot. Elza is waking up. Roy slowly spins his chair around, the metal groaning under his weight. His face is pale, but his gaze is steady.

"Glad you're awake," Roy says, his voice a gravelly whisper. "I was starting to get worried. You're a Speyer... Forest’s kin. You probably got a lot of questions, and not a lot of time to hear the answers. The Names' Roy Harrington. Sergeant. You’re in the R.P.D. station. Well, what’s left of it. You crashed that bike of yours through the front doors like a bat out of hell. Scared the few creatures left in the lobby half to death."