Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Dennis Finch died of gunshot wounds sustained the previous day by a man who had armed himself with two rifles and two pistols on his porch at the 200 block of Wellington Street in Traverse City. Sergeant Finch had been negotiating with the suspect for over an hour when the suspect opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, striking Sergeant Finch numerous times. Two other officers risked their lives by pulling his body off the porch. Sergeant Finch was admitted to the Munson Medical Center where he died the next morning at 10:30 am. The suspect was shot and wounded in the initial gunfight but barricaded himself in his house for 10 hours before giving up. He was convicted of murdering Sergeant Finch and sentenced to life in prison without parole. Sergeant Finch had served with the Traverse City Police Department for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, grandchild, mother, and 10 siblings. The Sgt. Dennis W. Finch Law Enforcement Center, a Woodmere Avenue facility that houses the city police and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department, is named for him.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two daughters, grandchild, mother, and 10 siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-E528E1B6- 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
30 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant Finch gave the Traverse City Police Department 30 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Traverse City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Finch.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Dennis Warren Finch 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dennis Warren Finch's cause is highlighted.
How Dennis Warren Finch Compares
Offender Outcome
Sentenced to life
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Dennis Warren Finch is highlighted in May.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Dennis Warren Finch was killed by rifle; ar-15.