George W. Powers

Grand Rapids Police Department — Grand Rapids, MI

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch August 22, 1895

Age 52

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

The Vigil Panel 13 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 14

Incident

Detective George Powers was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two suspected train robbers. Detective Powers and two other detectives had gone to the Union Train Depot on Bridge Street to find two suspected train robbers. Detective Powers located the men in a train preparing to leave. When Detective Powers went to pull the bell cord on the train to alert the other Detective that he had located the suspects, one of them drew a concealed gun and shot Detective Powers, killing him. The next day police shot and killed one of the suspects in McBain. One of the detectives who was with Detective Powers identified the suspect as being the one who killed Detective Powers. Detective Powers was a U.S Army veteran of the Civil war and served with the Grand Rapids Police Department for 18 years. He was survived by his wife and two children. During the Civil war, he was taken prisoner following the Battle of the wilderness and sent to Andersonville Prison. During a prisoner transfer, he and another soldier managed to escape and make it back to Union Army Lines.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-D7959B61
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. Army. One record, 2 gates. George 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.
Detective Powers gave the Grand Rapids Police Department 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Grand Rapids 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 Grand Rapids Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Grand Rapids, Kent County, MI

Platform Identity grpd.kent.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 22, 1895

Tour of Duty 18 yrs

Age 52

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Military Service

George W. Powers served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Detective George W. Powers 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 97,759 officers honored here.

In MI, 426 of 718 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.3% of this state's fallen. That is 59.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Grand Rapids Police Department, 8 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.3% of this agency's fallen.

Grand Rapids Police Department

of 15 officers

53.3% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Felonious