Stephen Villaire
Agency patch
Police Officer

Stephen Villaire

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch September 23, 1923
Age 33
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
The Vigil Panel 45 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Villaire was shot and killed while attempting to arrest a robbery suspect. Officer Villaire was shot six times on Sunday, Sept. 23 at 2:30 p.m. as he grappled with a man who had threatened the lives of a number of people at a house located at 2457 St. Antoine Street. Responding to a call for help, Officer Villaire had entered the first floor of the home and was warned by a woman who lived there that there was an armed man was inside. As he opened the door leading to a back room, as many as nine shots were fired in rapid succession and the officer fell dead at the scene. His assailant fled. The 24-year-old suspect was arrested, convicted of murder, and sentenced to life on October 5, 1923. He was paroled on May 4, 1951. Officer Villaire had been with the police department for nine years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife and two children; a son and a daughter.

In Our Keeping

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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 Villaire gave the Detroit Police Department 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Villaire.

— 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 September 23, 1923
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 33
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Gun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

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

34,117 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 1923, 199 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 14th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Stephen was 33. 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. Stephen had served 9 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

September holds 9.1% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Sundays: 15.2%.

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, Stephen among them.

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Stephen Villaire

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch September 23, 1923

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 38-E

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