"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of Detroit Police Officer Stanley J. Jerlecki

Detroit Police Officer Stanley Jerlecki was shot and killed responding to a jewelry store robbery in 1951. His story reminds us how far we've come in honoring the fallen and caring for their families.

Detroit Police Officer Stanley J. Jerlecki

McLean, VA (December 16, 2025) - Around 4 a.m. on December 14, 1951, Detroit Police Officer Stanley J. Jerlecki and his partner responded to a burglary at a jewelry store. As he pursued one of the suspects, gunfire erupted. Officer Jerlecki was struck, but in his final moments he returned fire, fatally wounding the adult suspect. The second suspect — a juvenile — was captured and later convicted of burglary. The adult gunman should have been in jail at the time of the murder. Just a couple of weeks earlier, he had robbed a liquor store at gunpoint, but a judge let him out on bail. He left behind his wife, Mary Jane, a four-year-old son, Stan, and a three-year-old daughter, Dolly. His death inspired the start of the first 100 Club in the U.S.—dedicated to providing financial and other assistance to survivors of the fallen. His death also reminds us of how far we’ve come over the years in honoring officers who die in the line of duty and taking care of their families. We now have National Police Week, Peace Officers Memorial Day, the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial, and the National Law Enforcement Museum. We have Concerns of Police Survivors (C.O.P.S.), the Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Program (PSOB), and 100 Clubs across the country.

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