Incident
Officer Vollertsen was shot and killed as he attempted to arrest two men for attempted robbery at 3927 Michigan Avenue. As he handcuffed one of the men the other drew a handgun and opened fire, killing Officer Vollertsen. The store owner grabbed his gun and fired at the two fleeing suspects, wounding both. Both men were later arrested, along with two other getaway drivers, and charged with Officer Vollertsen's murder and 25 robberies. One 22-year-old man was adjudged insane and committed to a mental institution. When committed it was discovered he was wanted in California for 20 robberies but officials there dropped their charges when he was committed. In 1932 he was found sane and charged with Officer Vollertsen's murder. The charges were later dismissed because all of the witnesses were either dead or could not be found. Officer Vollertsen had served with the Detroit Police Department for 1 year.
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BO-US-MI-E83B737F- 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
You barely got started.
Police Officer Vollertsen gave the Detroit Police Department 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Vollertsen.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Raymond Vollertsen 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Felonious compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Raymond Vollertsen's cause is highlighted.
How Raymond Vollertsen Compares
Offender Outcome
Apprehended
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Raymond Vollertsen is highlighted in Jan.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Raymond Vollertsen was killed by handgun.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
249 officers from Detroit Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.















