Daniel C. Vreeland

Michigan Central Railroad Police Department — Detroit, MI

Accident

End of Watch August 11, 1911

Age 43

The Vigil Panel 25 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 5

Incident

Railroad Detective Daniel Vreeland and Railroad Detective Frank Cook were shot and killed in Detroit, Michigan, by a railroad police officer from another railroad in a case of mistaken identity.

The three officers, who knew each other well, were accustomed to meeting nightly at the junction of Michigan Central Railroad tracks and Lake Shore Railroad tracks near Junction Street. Detective Vreeland and Detective Cook, knowing that the other officer was attempting to locate a pair of thieves, attempted to play a practical joke on him by jumping from behind a railroad car and surprising him.

Not recognizing them, the other officer opened fire, fatally striking both officers.

Still not knowing whom he had shot, the officer met a Detroit police officer and informed him he had shot two robbers. When they returned to the scene the officer discovered he had shot his two friends and collapsed. He was arrested by the Detroit police officer but later released following a coroner's hearing.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-RR-AE973553
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Railroad Detective Vreeland served with the Michigan Central Railroad Police Department.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Railroad Detective Vreeland.

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

Agency

Department Michigan Central Railroad Police Department

Location Detroit, MI

Platform Identity mcrpd.rr.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 11, 1911

Age 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Railroad Detective Daniel C. Vreeland is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 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 0.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Michigan Central Railroad Police Department, 4 of 6 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.

Michigan Central Railroad Police Department

of 6 officers

66.7% Accident

MI — Statewide

229

of 718 officers

31.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident