John R. Sheridan
Agency patch
Police Officer

John R. Sheridan

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch August 9, 1937
Age 31
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Badge 2753
The Vigil Panel 73 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Sheridan succumbed to a gunshot wound sustained four days earlier when he was shot in the spine while attempting to arrest two suspects at Woodward Avenue and Adelaide Street. After being shot, he was transported to Receiving Hospital where he succumbed to his wounds. Officer Sheridan, who was assigned to the Thirteenth Precinct, had gone to the police call box at the intersection where two cab drivers directed him toward two men entering a cab across the street. As he walked over to investigate he was shot int the chest and his spinal cord was severed. He had unknowingly confronted two hold-up men. The suspect who killed Officer Sheridan and his accomplice, both 27, were convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Two years later one suspect stabbed and seriously wounded a fellow inmate. On December 24, 1967, he was paroled. Officer Sheridan had served with the Detroit Police Department for 3 years and was assigned to the Canfield Station.

Survivors

He was survived by his mother and two brothers, one of whom also served as an officer with the Detroit Police Department at the time.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Police Officer Sheridan gave the Detroit Police Department 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Sheridan.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Detroit, Wayne County, MI
Platform Identity detpd.wayne.mi.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 9, 1937
Tour of Duty 3 yrs
Age 31
Badge Number 2753
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

John is one of 15,743 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

33,917 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
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Compare against
I

Time

In 1937, 123 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 41st heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 31. Of the 14,220 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. John had served 3 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 8.9% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Mondays: 13.8%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Felonious deaths account for 57.1% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the most common cause. The weapon recorded was gun, in 22.8% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

Detroit Police Department has at least 120 officers remembered here, John among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer John R. Sheridan

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch August 9, 1937

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 21-W

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