Headley Downey

Ann Arbor Police Department — Ann Arbor, MI

Cardiac Veteran

End of Watch May 9, 1963

Age 51

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Detective Sergeant Headley Downey suffered a fatal heart attack while he another officer were conducting an investigation on the campus of the University of Michigan. The suspect was taking them into a locker room in the Waterman Gymnasium to show them where he had hidden a wallet. During the investigation, Detective Sergeant Downey became ill and suffered the heart attack. The gymnasium was located at the intersection of North University Avenue and East University Avenue where the Williard Henry Dow Laboratory was later built after the gymnasium was torn down in 1977. Detective Sergeant Downey was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Ann Arbor Police Department for 17 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, four sons, and six grandchildren.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-BEB61425
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 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 Sergeant Downey gave the Ann Arbor Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ann Arbor 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 Ann Arbor Police Department

Location Ann Arbor, MI

Platform Identity aapd.washtenaw.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 9, 1963

Tour of Duty 17 yrs

Age 51

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Cardiac

Military Service

Headley Downey served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Detective Sergeant Headley Downey is one of 1,306 officers lost to cardiac events in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 4% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MI, 39 of 718 officers were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 5.4% of this state's fallen. That is 1.4 percentage points above the national rate of 4%.

At Ann Arbor Police Department, 1 of 4 officers on record were lost to cardiac events in the line of duty — 25% of this agency's fallen.

Ann Arbor Police Department

of 4 officers

25% Cardiac

MI — Statewide

of 718 officers

5.4% Cardiac

Nationwide

1,306

of 32,508 officers

4% Cardiac