Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Charles Smetana was killed in a single-vehicle car crash while responding to the report of a traffic accident with injuries.
His patrol car struck a bridge pillar on I-75 at Sixteen Mile.
Officer Smetana was a U.S. Marine Corps veteran. He had served with the Troy Police Department for three years and had previously served with the Detroit Police Department for three years.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-A1FEA020- 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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Charles 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.
Officer Smetana gave the Troy Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Troy community. Thank you for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Charles E. Smetana served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Officer Charles E. Smetana is one of 1 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In MI, 229 of 718 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.9% of this state's fallen. That is 31.9 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Troy Police Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles E. Smetana's cause is highlighted.
How Charles E. Smetana Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles E. Smetana is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Military Service
Charles E. Smetana served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.
Visit Charles E. Smetana’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Troy Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
