Henry C. Henderson

Wayne County Sheriff's Dept. — Detroit, MI

Felonious

End of Watch March 9, 1972

Age 32

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

The Vigil Panel 109 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 13

Incident

Deputy Henderson was killed when he was assaulted while playing cards at a friend's home around midnight. Several plainclothes Detroit policemen followed what they believed to be a suspicious individual with a gun to an apartment at 310 Rochester Street where a group of deputy sheriffs and a neighbor were playing cards. At least two of the plainclothes policeman entered the apartment with weapons drawn in pursuit of the individual who turned out to be a Wayne County Sheriff's deputy. All parties ultimately identified themselves as law enforcement officers but it is unclear at what point they did so. In the chaos, Deputy Henderson was killed, another deputy was critically wounded and two others suffered lesser wounds in the shoot‐out that was described as the result of a “tragic mix‐up” by the police department. Three plainclothes police officers were charged with murder in what was called the "Rochester Street Massacre;" all three were acquitted. Deputy Henderson had served with the Wayne County Sheriff's Office for 2 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-256E5252
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.
Deputy Sheriff Henderson gave the Wayne County Sheriff's Office 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Henderson.

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

Agency

Department Wayne County Sheriff's Dept.

Location Detroit, MI

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

Service Record

End of Watch March 9, 1972

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 32

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Not available

Offender Charged with murder

Deputy Sheriff Henry C. Henderson 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 Wayne County Sheriff's Dept., 7 of 14 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Wayne County Sheriff's Dept.

of 14 officers

50% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious