Leland Alexander

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI

Felonious

End of Watch May 12, 1916

Age 29

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 31 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 249

Incident

Patrolman Leland Alexander was shot and killed in a gun battle with three robbery suspects between Illinois Street and Leland Street. Police Officer Alexander and his partner Officer Louis Hacker were initially responding to a loitering complaint. When they arrived at the nearby saloon around 11:30 p.m., the loitering suspects dispersed in separate directions. Officer Hacker chased the men who went west while Alexander went east. He was killed in an exchange of gunfire in an alleyway. All three suspects were apprehended later in the day. Investigators determined the group had been involved in a string of downtown robberies. The confessed gunman was convicted of murder and sentenced to life. On August 28, 1931, he died a hero in the prison hospital as he went to the aid of a dying doctor who had just been shot by an inmate with a smuggled gun. That inmate shot and killed him and three others before killing himself. Patrolman Alexander's killer was posthumously pardoned by Governor Wilbur M. Brucker.

Survivors

Patrolman Alexander was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-511306ED
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.
Police Officer Alexander gave the Detroit Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Alexander.

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

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department

Location Detroit, MI

Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 12, 1916

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 29

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Died in prison

Police Officer Leland Alexander is one of 17,623 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 54.2% of all 32,508 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 5.1 percentage points above the national rate of 54.2%.

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 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious