In the summer of 1972, Detroit Police Officer Donald O. Kimbrough was on patrol in plain clothes with his partner when they received a report of two men shooting at people in a parking lot near a methadone clinic at the intersection of Belmont Street and Woodward Avenue. Upon their arrival, they confronted an armed man emerging from an alley. As they engaged with the first individual, a second man seated in the driver's seat of a nearby car opened fire with a handgun, striking Officer Kimbrough
in the chest. The first suspect then grabbed a shotgun and fired at Kimbrough's partner. Both officers returned fire as the two men fled the scene in the vehicle.
The gunshot wound inflicted on Donald Kimbrough that day, August 25, 1972, would irrevocably alter the course of his life. The bullet lodged against his spine, leaving him paralyzed from the waist down. Despite being confined to a wheelchair, his dedication to service led him to return to limited duty until his medical retirement in 1977. For 45 years, he lived with the devastating consequences of that violent encounter. His health steadily declined over the decades as he battled numerous complications stemming from the initial injury.
On December 7, 2017, Donald Kimbrough succumbed to the long-term effects of the gunshot wound he sustained in the line of duty. A medical examiner later ruled his death a homicide, concluding that the shooting was the direct cause of the ulcers, infection, malnutrition, and septic shock that ultimately led to his passing. The two suspects involved in the 1972 shooting were never identified, and no arrests have ever been made in connection with the case. Decades later, the investigation into the death of Officer Donald Kimbrough remains open, a cold case still awaiting a resolution.
