Selwyn C. Adams

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI

Felonious

End of Watch March 23, 1963

Age 46

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

The Vigil Panel 98 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 249

Incident

Sergeant Selwyn Adams was shot and killed with his own service weapon while making a traffic stop at the Russell off-ramp of Interstate 94. The man he stopped for speeding and reckless driving had been drinking after an earlier argument with his wife. Sgt. Adams holstered his gun after he stopped the vehicle and noticed the suspect's one-year-old son strapped in the front seat of the car. The officer had the suspect hand over the car keys and exit the vehicle. The suspect then began to struggle with Sgt. Adams and was able to obtain the officer's gun. He shot him the officer three times; killing him. The suspect surrendered to police two hours later and was convicted of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. He served 17.5 years of a 19- to 55-year term when his conviction was overturned in 1981 on a technicality. He was released in 1982 and in 1983 he stabbed his wife to death and then fatally stabbed himself. Sgt.

Survivors

Adams was survived by his wife, two sons, and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-733694C4
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

20 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Adams gave the Detroit Police Department 20 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Adams.

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

Agency

Department Detroit Police Department

Location Detroit, MI

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

Service Record

End of Watch March 23, 1963

Tour of Duty 20 yrs

Age 46

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Officer's handgun

Offender Sentenced to 55 years; conviction overtu

Sergeant Selwyn C. Adams 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 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.

Detroit Police Department

177

of 250 officers

70.8% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious