Incident
Sergeant McKenna was shot and killed by another officer in a case of mistaken identity near the intersection of Junction Avenue and Dix Street. Sergeant McKenna and other officers were in a police vehicle with the curtains drawn in the area of Dix Street near Junction. Another officer, who was unaware the vehicle was a police car, attempted to stop it. The officer saw a man inside with a gun and opened fire with a shotgun, killing Sergeant McKenna. All officers involved in the incident were cleared after an investigation by the prosecutor's office. Sergeant McKenna had served with the Detroit Police Department for 4 years.
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- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-825B15D9- 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.
Detective Sergeant McKenna gave the Detroit Police Department 4 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Sergeant McKenna.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Sergeant Charles Daniel McKenna 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 Detroit Police Department, 58 of 250 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 23.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles Daniel McKenna's cause is highlighted.
How Charles Daniel McKenna Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Charles Daniel McKenna is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
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