Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Bob Russell was shot and killed when he and another officer saw a vehicle pull into a used car lot at the intersection of Wachtel Avenue and Mitchell Street at about 2:30 am. Officer Russell went to the front of the business, and the other officer went to the rear. As Officer Russell was searching the front, one of the two suspects shot him four times. Both suspects surrendered to police a short time later. The man who killed Officer Russell was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on June 28th, 1950. He died in prison on May 9th, 1968. The other man was also convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison on July 1st, 1950. He was released from prison on December 2, 1960, after being resentenced on a lesser charge. Officer Russell was a United States World War I veteran and served with the Petoskey Department of Public Safety for seven years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-FCF44E4A- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Officer Russell gave the Petoskey Department of Public Safety 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Michigan, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Robert W. Russell served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Officer Robert W. Russell 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. Robert W. Russell's cause is highlighted.
How Robert W. Russell Compares
Offender Outcome
Died in prison
When Felonious Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Felonious deaths across the full memorial record. Robert W. Russell is highlighted in Jun.
Weapons Used Against Officers
Most common weapons in felonious officer deaths. Robert W. Russell was killed by rifle; .22 caliber.