On the night of March 29, 1982, Detroit Police Department officer William Green, 29, was shot and killed while working plainclothes patrol. Around 11:05 p.m., near the corner of Woodward and Leicester in front of the Ambassador Convalescent Center, Officer Green and his partner approached a group of teenagers they suspected of drug activity. One of the youths pulled a gun and fired, striking Officer Green in the head; the wound proved fatal.

Green had nine years on the force. A suspect from that group was arrested, prosecuted, and convicted of manslaughter for the killing. Officer Green was survived by two children, his mother, and sisters.