Kenneth Earl Payne

Ann Arbor Police Department — Ann Arbor, MI

Accident Veteran

End of Watch June 4, 1946

Age 31

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

The Vigil Panel 82 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 3

Incident

Patrolman Payne was killed in a motorcycle accident while on patrol on Washtenaw Avenue. Another vehicle pulled in front of him at the intersection of Sheridan Road and suddenly stopped. Patrolman Payne attempted to avoid a collision but was thrown to the ground, causing severe injuries. He succumbed to his injuries eight hours later. Patrolman Payne was a U.S. Army veteran of WWII and had served with the Ann Arbor Police Department for five years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife, daughter, and grandparents.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-2808186A
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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Payne gave the Ann Arbor Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Ann Arbor community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Ann Arbor Police Department

Location Ann Arbor, MI

Platform Identity aapd.washtenaw.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 4, 1946

Tour of Duty 5 yrs

Age 31

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Kenneth Earl Payne served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Kenneth Earl Payne is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In MI, 229 of 718 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 31.9% of this state's fallen. That is 0.9 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

At Ann Arbor Police Department, 2 of 4 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 50% of this agency's fallen.

Ann Arbor Police Department

of 4 officers

50% Accident

MI — Statewide

229

of 718 officers

31.9% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident