Traverse City Police Department, Michigan
End of Watch: Wednesday, May 13, 1998
Age: 52
Tour of Duty: 30 years
Badge Number: 212
Cause of Death: Gunfire
Date of Incident: May 12, 1998
Weapon Used: Rifle; AR-15
Suspect Info: Sentenced to life
Sergeant Dennis Finch died of gunshot wounds sustained the previous day by a man who had armed himself with two rifles and two pistols on his porch at the 200 block of Wellington Street in Traverse City.
Sergeant Finch had been negotiating with the suspect for over an hour when the suspect opened fire with an AR-15 rifle, striking Sergeant Finch numerous times. Two other officers risked their lives by pulling his body off the porch. Sergeant Finch was admitted to the Munson Medical Center where he died the next morning at 10:30 am.
The suspect was shot and wounded in the initial gunfight but barricaded himself in his house for 10 hours before giving up. He was convicted of murdering Sergeant Finch and sentenced to life in prison without parole.
Sergeant Finch had served with the Traverse City Police Department for 30 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, grandchild, mother, and 10 siblings.
The Sgt. Dennis W. Finch Law Enforcement Center, a Woodmere Avenue facility that houses the city police and the Grand Traverse County Sheriff's Department, is named for him.