Arthur Richard Huhnke
Agency patch
Police Officer

Arthur Richard Huhnke

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch November 8, 1920
Age 24
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Badge 261
The Vigil Panel 39 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Arthur Huhnke was shot and killed while questioning a suspicious man at 41 Sherman Street (Present Day Garnet Avenue). When Officer Huhnke asked the man to take his hands out of his pockets, the man produced a handgun and shot Officer Huhnke twice. An off-duty auxiliary officer who witnessed the shooting fired two shots at the suspect but missed. Officer Huhnke was taken to Receiving Hospital, where he died of his wounds. The suspect was apprehended three weeks later in Detroit as he tried to get on a train headed to Tennessee. He had escaped from Jackson Prison a year earlier. He was wanted in Pensacola, Florida, for five holdups and the murder of a woman. He was convicted of Officer Huhnke's murder and sentenced to life. Officer Huhnke had served with the Detroit Police Department for one year.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and baby child.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-7DFCAEAC
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

You barely got started.
Police Officer Huhnke gave the Detroit Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Huhnke.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch November 8, 1920
Tour of Duty 1 yrs
Age 24
Badge Number 261
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

Police Officer Arthur Richard Huhnke is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.

In MI, 426 of 719 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.2% of this state's fallen. That is 59.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Detroit Police Department, 177 of 250 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 70.8% of this agency's fallen.

Detroit Police Department
177
of 250 officers
70.8% Felonious
MI — Statewide
426
of 719 officers
59.2% Felonious
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Felonious

National Cause Distribution

How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Arthur Richard Huhnke's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Arthur Richard Huhnke Compares

Age at Death
24
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 39.0 years
Years of Service
1
This officer
Avg for Felonious: 8.4 years

When Felonious Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Arthur Richard Huhnke is highlighted in Nov.

Jan
1,392
Feb
1,295
Mar
1,373
Apr
1,516
May
1,504
Jun
1,442
Jul
1,587
Aug
1,517
Sep
1,491
Oct
1,371
Nov
1,447
Dec
1,624

Weapons Used Against Officers

Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Arthur Richard Huhnke was killed by gun.

Handgun
3,684
Gun
3,592
Gun; Unknown type
1,492
Shotgun
1,109
Rifle
935
Officer's handgun
909

Incident Location