Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Whitehead was killed when he was struck by the main rotor blades of a helicopter after a crash landing. He and his partner were on air patrol when they spotted a burning motor-home on I-96. After fire units arrived on the scene they began to ascend, but the helicopter struck electrical lines which crossed over the median. The helicopter descended rapidly and struck the ground. As both officers fled the aircraft Officer Whitehead was struck by the rotor blades, killing him instantly. Officer Whitehead had served with the agency for 7 years and had served in law enforcement for a total of 9 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife, parents, and three brothers.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-9C980D12- 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.
Police Officer Whitehead gave the Lansing Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Lansing community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Whitehead.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Dean A. Whitehead 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 Lansing Police Dept., 2 of 7 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 28.6% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dean A. Whitehead's cause is highlighted.
How Dean A. Whitehead Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Dean A. Whitehead is highlighted in May.
Others Who Wore This Badge
6 officers from Lansing Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
