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Johnnie Shoates

Case from Detroit, MI dated Oct 16, 1976

Victim Details

Johnnie Shoates

Male

Black / African American

Detroit

MI

1976-10-16

36

Johnnie

Shoates

06/23/2026

Case Description

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In the early morning hours of Saturday, October 16, 1976, off-duty Detroit Police Lieutenant Johnnie Shoates was waiting in line at a Church's Chicken restaurant at 12701 Joy Road. Suddenly, a man entered the establishment and announced a robbery. Identifying himself as a police officer, Lieutenant Shoates ordered the man to drop his weapon. The armed man turned and fired, striking Shoates in the head.

The single gunshot plunged Lieutenant Shoates into a coma, a state he would remain in f ...
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Links to Additional Sources (3)

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  • Lieutenant Johnnie C. Shoates, Detroit Police Department, Michigan
  • Reflections for Lieutenant Johnnie C. Shoates, Detroit Police ...
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    Forum Posts (1)

    I couldn't stop thinking about how Lieutenant Shoates had dedicated so much of his life to serving t... ...Read More
    09/06/2024
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