Sergeant William Dickerson, 52, was killed inside the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office jail on Clinton Street in Detroit while intervening during an inmate escape attempt. A prisoner had taken a deputy hostage and then used a smuggled handgun to shoot Sergeant Dickerson when he stepped in to try to de-escalate and free the deputy. The inmate could not unlock all the doors because the seized keys did not open them, and ultimately surrendered.

The man who shot Sergeant Dickerson was convicted of murdering a peace officer and sentenced to life in prison. Investigators later said the firearm had been smuggled into the jail by the suspect’s brother. The Sheriff’s Office later named its newest jail the Dickerson Detention Facility in his honor.

Anyone who knew Sergeant Dickerson or has information about the incident is asked to share what they remember.