Lawrence A. Adam
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Police Officer

Lawrence A. Adam

Detroit Police Department — Detroit, MI
Felonious
End of Watch July 1, 1943
Age 29
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Gender Male

Incident

Officer Lawrence Adam was shot and killed during the Detroit Race Riots of 1943. He and three other officers had responded to the corner of Brush Street and Vernor Highway when Officer Adam was struck in the groin by a shotgun blast fired from the parking lot of a nearby hotel at 9:30 p.m. His partner returned fire, killing the gunman. Officer Adam was taken to the hospital for treatment while officers continued exchanging gunfire with rioters at the scene. Officer Adam showed signs of improvement but succumbed to an infection of his wounds ten days later. Officer Adam had served with the Detroit Police Department for 5 years.

Survivors

He was survived by his parents, two sisters, and grandmother.

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 Adam gave the Detroit Police Department 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Adam.

— 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 July 1, 1943
Tour of Duty 5 yrs
Age 29
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Felonious
Weapon Shotgun

The Sacrifice · Felonious

Lawrence is one of 15,742 officers killed feloniously in the United States, 57.1% of the 27,551 remembered there.

34,102 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 1943, 66 officers in the United States were killed feloniously, the 109th heaviest of 213 years on record. The heaviest was 1921, with 248.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Lawrence was 29. Of the 14,219 killed feloniously in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 31 and 47; the middle age was 38. Lawrence had served 5 years; the middle length of service was 6 years.

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

When

July holds 9.3% of these deaths in the United States; December holds the most, 9.4%. Thursdays: 14%.

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 shotgun, in 7% of these deaths.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

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

Across the years
VI

Where

Police Officer Lawrence A. Adam

Detroit Police Department · End of Watch July 1, 1943

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 9-E

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