Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Norman Spruiel succumbed to gunshot wounds sustained three weeks earlier while working an undercover murder case. He was conducting surveillance with his partner while attempting to locate two suspects who murdered and then mutilated two young men. As the officers were finishing up their surveillance for the night they drove a few blocks away to compare notes at Prairie Street south of Lyndon in a dead end. Officer Spruiel was standing outside his unmarked patrol car when he was shot twice in the back by a man unrelated to the murder investigation. The subject claimed he did not know the two were police officers and thought they were preparing to rob his brother's body shop. The suspect was convicted of Officer Spruiel's murder and sentenced to 85 years in prison. Officer Spruiel had served with the Detroit Police Department for 15 years.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-7BA1274E- 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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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Spruiel gave the Detroit Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Spruiel.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Norman E. Spruiel 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 97,772 officers honored here.
In MI, 426 of 719 officers were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 59.2% of this state's fallen. That is 59.2 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Norman E. Spruiel's cause is highlighted.
How Norman E. Spruiel Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Norman E. Spruiel is highlighted in Oct.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Norman E. Spruiel was killed by rifle.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
249 officers from Detroit Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
