Neil Keith Wells
Agency patch
Police Officer

Neil Keith Wells

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch April 4, 2001
Age 41
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
The Vigil Panel 148 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Neil Wells was shot and killed while he and other officers were investigating a complaint of drug dealing in a partially vacant apartment building at Cherrylawn and Ellsworth.

Officer Wells was in plain clothes and wearing a vest. As he searched the building, he encountered one of the suspects and was shot twice, once in the chest and once in the side, with an AK-47 rifle. At least one of the rounds bypassed his vest.

Three suspects were apprehended at the scene shortly after the shooting. The shooter was determined to have been released early from prison after using a false name. He was apprehended after murdering Officer Wells and sentenced to 62 to 92 years for the murder.

Officer Wells was a member of a unit that policed high-crime areas, serving with the Detroit Police Department for 14 years.

Survivors

He is survived by a teenage son and a teenage daughter.

In Our Keeping

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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 Wells gave the Detroit Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Wells.

— 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 April 4, 2001
Tour of Duty 14 yrs
Age 41
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Cause Detail Gunfire
Weapon Rifle; AK-47

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Neil 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 2001, 158 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 23rd heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Neil was 41. 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. Neil had served 14 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

April holds 8.4% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Wednesdays: 12.9%.

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 rifle; ak-47, in 0.2% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Neil Keith Wells

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch April 4, 2001

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 24-E

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