In the crisp late autumn air of Detroit, Michigan, a dedicated 29-year-old male Wayne State University police officer named Collin James Rose was on patrol. It was the evening of November 22, 2016, and Officer Rose was investigating a series of vehicle break-ins that had been plaguing a neighborhood near the university's campus. Around 6:30 p.m., he radioed that he was stopping a suspicious person on a bicycle.
Moments later, the dedicated K-9 officer was found on the ground with a gunshot wound to his head. He was rushed to Detroit Receiving Hospital, where he fought for his life. Surrounded by his family, friends, and a vigil of over 150 fellow officers, Collin Rose succumbed to his injuries the following day, November 23, 2016.
The investigation into the death of the first and only Wayne State University officer to be killed in the line of duty was swift and intense. An initial person of interest was taken into custody on the night of the shooting and was subsequently charged with murder. However, as the investigation deepened, it became clear that the initial suspect was not the perpetrator. In a turn of events, all charges against this individual were dropped in early December 2016, as prosecutors announced he was no longer a suspect. Investigators continued their tireless search for the person responsible for Officer Rose's death, releasing images of a flashlight and a bicycle left at the scene to the public in hopes of generating new leads.
Months later, in March 2017, a breakthrough came in the form of a separate incident. Two other Detroit police officers were shot and wounded while attempting to stop a man. The suspect in that shooting, a 60-year-old man named Raymond Durham, was taken into custody. Forensic evidence would soon connect Durham to the murder of Collin Rose. Investigators found a positive DNA match between Durham and evidence recovered from the scene of Officer Rose's shooting. In August 2017, nearly nine months after Officer Rose's death, the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office announced that Raymond Durham was being charged with first-degree premeditated murder, murder of a peace officer, and several firearm-related offenses.
The legal proceedings that followed took a different course. Raymond Durham's family had stated that he had a history of schizophrenia and had been homeless for many years. Concerns about his mental state led to a competency hearing. Ultimately, Durham was found incompetent to stand trial for the murder of Sergeant Collin Rose. The charges against him were dismissed in January 2019 due to his mental state, leaving the case without a conviction. Collin Rose, who was posthumously promoted to Sergeant, was remembered for his dedication to his community and his passion for working with his K-9 partners.
