Wilfred F. Golla

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI

Felonious

End of Watch October 24, 1931

Age 28

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Badge 1616

The Vigil Panel 63 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 249

Incident

Officer Wilfred Golla was shot and mortally wounded while pursuing a robbery suspect. Officer Golla was informed by a citizen that a nearby market had just been robbed and the proprietor had been shot. Officer Golla proceeded to pursue the suspect who opened fire on him at St. Aubin and Antietam Streets, striking Officer Golla in the face. He died from his wound three weeks later. Twelve days after he was shot three men were arrested after they robbed and killed the proprietor in his fish market. One was identified of Officer Golla's murderer after the pistol he had matched the one used in Officer Golla's murder. Officer Golla was shot one hour after he had gone on duty after a 17 day leave of absence. He had been at the bedside of his 20-year-old wife, in a hospital, who was very ill after delivering their first child, who died a week earlier. She had been released and was at home when police officials informed her that her husband had died. She went into a state of shock and was rushed to a hospital where she died an hour later. Her official cause of death was listed, due to all the trauma she had gone through. Officer Golla had served with the agency for 2 years and was assigned to the 3rd Precinct.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-MI-D6F0DA70
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 Golla gave the Detroit Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Golla.

— 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 October 24, 1931

Tour of Duty 2 yrs

Age 28

Badge Number 1616

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious

Weapon Handgun

Offender Not available

Police Officer Wilfred F. Golla 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