John E. Zeh
Agency patch
Police Officer

John E. Zeh

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Accident
End of Watch June 4, 1944
Age 32
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
The Vigil Panel 80 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Zeh succumbed to head injuries sustained the previous day when he was involved in a motorcycle crash at 7:50 p.m. at the intersection of Michigan and Trumbull while on patrol. Officer Zeh had served with the Detroit Police Department for 6 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his wife.

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 Zeh gave the Detroit Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Zeh.

— 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 June 4, 1944
Tour of Duty 6 yrs
Age 32
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

The Sacrifice · Accident

John is one of 8,275 officers lost to accidents in the United States, 30% 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
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 1944, 48 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 99th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

John was 32. Of the 7,718 lost to accidents in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 29 and 46; the middle age was 36. John had served 6 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

June holds 7.9% of these deaths in the United States; August holds the most, 9.5%. Sundays: 14%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Accident deaths account for 30% of all 27,551 deaths in the United States, the 2nd most common cause.

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 E. Zeh

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch June 4, 1944

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 16-W

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