Roll of Honor
Incident
At 3:40am, in July 16, 1924, a beat patrolman on Gratiot Street. heard the sound of gunshots in the vicinity of Genessee and Bullock Streets. About the same time, a man coming out of 308 Greenwich St. noticed a man running down the sidewalk. He also noticed this man was not wearing a hat. Other officers searching the area found Patrolman John Schmiegel lying on the ground at the rear of Johnson's Store on Bullock Street. Patrolman Schmiegel had been shot several times and was deceased. His service revolver was missing. A man's straw hat was found at the scene. It was assumed that Patrolman Schmiegel was checking the rear of the store and came upon a burglar who overpowered the officer killing him with the officer's own weapon. Several promising leads were followed including that of a man who left town for Canada the morning after the murder. He was never found by Canadian authorities. In 1931, the four bullets that were removed from Patrolman Schmiegel's body were sent to the Detroit Police Crime Lab for analysis. The lab concluded that the bullets were fired from a .38 Iver Johnson revolver, not the officer's weapon. In 1939, police received a letter from a man who had been charged with selling bootlegged liquor to a couple state police informants. During a quarrel, this man heard one of the informants say he had Patrolman Schmiegel's weapon. The letter writer claimed to have seen the weapon when it was taken from its hiding place. Both informants were interviewed by police, but the gun was never found. The investigation into the death of Patrolman Schmiegel went on for sixteen years before it was termed inactive. Patrolman Schmiegel had been employed with the Saginaw Police Department for three years.
In Our Keeping
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BO-US-MI-A4D1CB76- Stewardship
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- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Patrolman Schmiegel gave the Saginaw Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Saginaw community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Patrolman Schmiegel.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Patrolman John Schmiegel is one of 1 officers killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 59.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Saginaw Police Department, 6 of 8 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 75% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Schmiegel's cause is highlighted.
How John Schmiegel Compares
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. John Schmiegel is highlighted in Jul.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. John Schmiegel was killed by gun.
Others Who Wore This Badge
7 officers from Saginaw Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
