Detective George W. Powers

George W. Powers

Detective Powers was shot and killed while attempting to arrest two suspected train robbers.

Detective Powers and two other detectives had gone to the Union Train Depot on Bridge Street to find two suspected train robbers. Detective Powers located the men in a train preparing to leave. When Detective Powers went to pull the bell cord on the train to alert the other Detective that he had located the suspects, one of them drew a concealed gun and shot Detective Powers, killing him.

The next day police shot and killed one of the suspects in McBain. One of the detectives who was with Detective Powers identified the suspect as being the one who killed Detective Powers.

Detective Powers was a U.S Army veteran of the Civil war and served with the Grand Rapids Police Department for 18 years. He was survived by his wife and two children. During the Civil war, he was taken prisoner following the Battle of the wilderness and sent to Andersonville Prison. During a prisoner transfer, he and another soldier managed to escape and make it back to Union Army Lines.