Steven B. DeVries

MI State Police — Lansing, MI

Felonious

End of Watch October 12, 1972

Age 32

The Vigil Panel 110 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice 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.

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Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-6FDA2C8C
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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.
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

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; Unknown type

Offender Later shot and killed

Trooper Steven B. DeVries 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 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 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious