Police Officer Freddie Lee Jackson

Freddie Lee Jackson

Officer Freddie Jackson was shot and killed while working a plainclothes detail in an area that had been experiencing a high level of automobile burglaries. He and his partner had observed three men tampering with a car. As they approached the men they all fled the scene.

The two officers began examining the car for damage when a man, the son of a local business owner, stepped out of a building with a shotgun and opened fire, striking Officer Jackson in the chest. The man was the vehicle's owner and thought the two officers were breaking into it. He was convicted of involuntary manslaughter in connection with Officer Jackson's murder.

Officer Jackson had served with the Detroit Police Department for 14 years and had previously served with the United States Army. He was survived by his wife and four children.