Earl Lavelle White
Agency patch
Sergeant

Earl Lavelle White

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Accident
End of Watch August 26, 1995
Age 49
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Earl White and Police Officer Lindora Smith were killed when their patrol car collided with another patrol car at Holmur and Elmhurst streets during a pursuit. The two officers had attempted to stop the vehicle for reckless driving at 2:40 am. In addition to Sergeant White and Officer Smith, a police Explorer who was on a ride-along was killed in the collision. The officer in the second patrol car was injured. Sergeant White had served with the Detroit Police Department for 22 years.

Survivors

He is survived by his wife and three children.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

22 years. You could have gone home.
Sergeant White gave the Detroit Police Department 22 years. Still answering calls at the end.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant White.

— 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 26, 1995
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident
Weapon Automobile

The Sacrifice · Accident

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

Time

In 1995, 73 officers in the United States were lost to accidents, the 38th heaviest of 174 years on record. The heaviest was 1929, with 118.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Earl was 49. 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. Earl had served 22 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 9.5% of these deaths in the United States, more than any other month. Saturdays: 14.9%.

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. The weapon recorded was automobile, in 6.9% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Sergeant Earl Lavelle White

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch August 26, 1995

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 23-W

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