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Probationary Police Officer

Clarence Roscoe Cummings

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch March 25, 1904

Age 25

Tour of Duty 6 mo

The Vigil Panel 47 · Column 3 · Line 1 ›

Gender Male

Incident Media Service The Sacrifice Military Memorials 1 Also Remembered Department 249

Incident

Probationary Police Officer Clarence Cummings was shot and killed while investigating a domestic disturbance at a home on Saint Joseph Street near Grandy Street between a husband and wife. Earlier in the evening, the subject had threatened to kill his wife and chased her out of the house by locking her out of their home. The subject's wife went to the local police station with a friend on Chene street for help and was turned down after being told to secure a warrant at Police Circuit Court. On their way home, they approached Officer Cummings and had informed him that her husband had threatened her life and locked her out of her house and he agreed in accompanying her home. As they entered the home through a back porch door the subject emerged from a room and pointed a gun in the direction of his wife. As Officer Cummings drew his service revolver he was shot by the subject. Immediately after the shooting, the friend of the subject's wife summoned a patrol wagon and an ambulance from Harper Hospital. Officer Cummings died shortly after arrival at the hospital. The subject was found guilty of second-degree murder and sentenced 11-18 years in prison and claimed the shooting was accidental. Probationary Police Officer Cummings was a U.S Army veteran of the Spanish-American war and served with the Detroit Police Department for six months. He had only one week left in his probationary period when the incident occurred.

Survivors

He is survived by his parents.

In Our Keeping

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Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Clarence is one person.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Probationary Police Officer Cummings served with the Detroit Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI

Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 25, 1904

Tour of Duty 6 mo

Age 25

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

Clarence Roscoe Cummings served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Clarence is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

Compare against

Time

In 1904, 82 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 78th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States

Who

Clarence was 25. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Clarence had served 0.5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death

Where he stood among them

Age by years of service

III

When

March holds 7.5% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Fridays: 14.3%.

By month

By day of the week

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was handgun, in 23.4% of these deaths.

Every cause

Weapons recorded