Samuel Slater, Jr.

Grand Rapids Police Department — Grand Rapids, MI

Felonious

End of Watch December 9, 1921

Age 54

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

The Vigil Panel 42 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 14

Incident

Detective Slater and Special Officer George Brandsma were shot and killed after responding to a house to arrest suspect bank robbers, four men and one woman. Detective Slater and Officer Brandsma were acting on a tip that said two suspected bank robbers were at a house at 455 Weaver Street SE (Present day Ardmore Street SE) .. The tip was thought to be false by Detective Slater since so many tips had been false throughout the day. Detective Slater elected to take just one officer, Officer Brandsma, to assist him. As the officers arrived at the home of the tipster, who lived across from the suspect's home, the suspects saw them and turned out all the lights. The two officers watched the home for a short time, and then decided to go knock on the door. As the two officers were walking up the sidewalk leading to the door of the suspect's home, shots rang out. Detective Slater was shot through the door. Officer Brandsma rushed the door and forced his way into the home but was shot several times when be entered the home and was killed instantly. Detective Slater staggered back to the tipster's home where he collapsed. He was brought to the hospital by responding officers and died two days later. Detective Slater was murdered on his 54th birthday. He had served with the Grand Rapids Police Department for 24 years and was survived by his wife and three children. The suspects escaped in a stolen car. One was captured in Detroit, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life. On August 16, 1931, during a riot at Marquette Penitentiary he was shot in the chest by a rioting inmate when he risked his life in an attempt to save the prison doctor and a fellow inmate, whom the rioters killed. He later recovered and in consideration for his heroism was released on May 4, 1932. On December 18, 1922, four men and two women in Denver, Colorado, robbed a federal mint bank truck and got away with $200,000. As the suspects fled a bank truck guard jumped on the running board and shot one robb

Survivors

He had served with the Grand Rapids Police Department for 24 years and was survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-D07F0972
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

24 years. You could have gone home.
Detective Slater gave the Grand Rapids Police Department 24 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Grand Rapids community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Slater.

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

Agency

Department Grand Rapids Police Department

Location Grand Rapids, MI

Platform Identity grpd.kent.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 9, 1921

Tour of Duty 24 yrs

Age 54

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Gun; Unknown type

Offender Not available

Detective Samuel Slater, Jr. 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 Grand Rapids Police Department, 8 of 15 officers on record were killed feloniously — deliberately targeted and murdered in the line of duty — 53.3% of this agency's fallen.

Grand Rapids Police Department

of 15 officers

53.3% Felonious

MI — Statewide

426

of 718 officers

59.3% Felonious

Nationwide

17,623

of 32,508 officers

54.2% Felonious