On July 1, 1991, Richard Michael Leskie, a 39-year-old White male, was working as a police officer for the Detroit Police Department. At approximately 1:30 in the afternoon, he was actively pursuing a burglary suspect. The chase led them to a building located at the intersection of Beechwood and Seebaldt streets, where the suspect fled into the basement.
As Officer Leskie made his way down the basement stairs in pursuit, the suspect, who had concealed himself underneath the staircase,
opened fire. The suspect was armed with a 16-gauge shotgun and the blast struck Officer Leskie, killing him at the scene. Richard Michael Leskie had been a member of the Detroit Police Department for nine years at the time of his death.
Following the shooting of Officer Leskie, the individual responsible for his death committed suicide. Because the suspect took his own life, no arrests were made in connection with the murder of the officer. The case did not proceed to any legal proceedings or trials due to the death of the lone suspect. Officer Leskie was survived by his wife and two children.
