Steven B. DeVries

MI State Police — Lansing, MI

Veteran → Felonious

End of Watch October 12, 1972

Age 32

The Vigil Panel 110 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 56

Incident

Trooper DeVries was shot and killed after stopping a suspect who had just robbed a bank in Niles, Michigan. During the stop the suspect shot him in the chest. Responding officers found that during the course of the stop Trooper DeVries had written the man's name and address on a note pad and arrested the man. The suspect, sentenced to life, escaped on March 21, 1975, and was captured by FBI agents in Los Angeles three weeks later. He escaped again in 1987. Later that same year he was shot and killed by deputies in Mississippi following another bank robbery.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-6FDA2C8C
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. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Steven is one person.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Trooper DeVries served with the Michigan State Police.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Trooper DeVries.

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

Agency

Department MI State Police

Type State Police

Location Lansing, MI

Platform Identity msp.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch October 12, 1972

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun

Military Service

Steven B. DeVries served in the U.S. Navy (1959â1963) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Trooper Steven B. DeVries 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 MI State Police, 27 of 57 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 47.4% of this agency's fallen.

MI State Police

of 57 officers

47.4% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 719 officers

59.2% Felonious

Nationwide

of 97,772 officers

0% Felonious