n addition to honoring the service and sacrifice of its fallen heroes, the chief also acknowledged the efforts and commitment of the active Sterling Heights police force May 19 as the city’s Police Department paused and paid tribute to the city’s fallen protectors.
By: Gary Winkelman | Sterling Heights Sentry | Published May 22, 2026
STERLING HEIGHTS — Solemn bagpipes, humble prayer and the ritual rifle blasts of a 21-gun salute were among the sights and sounds May 19 as the Sterling Heights Police Department paused and paid tribute to the city’s fallen protectors.
The annual remembrance ceremony is a salute to law enforcers who have lost their lives nationwide but focuses on the three individuals who died in the line of duty in Sterling Heights: Leroy Imus, Norman Stozenfeld and Mark Sawyers.
“Today reminds us that service comes at a great cost,” said Wesley Woods, pastor at Heritage Church in Sterling Heights and a police chaplain. “It reminds us that behind every badge is sacrifice. And the weight of that sacrifice is carried not only by our officers, but also by their families, fellow officers, and the community they served. So today, here in Sterling Heights, we have to remember. We pause to honor and give thanks so that their memory is never forgotten.”
Under a steamy early afternoon sun — and just a day after a powerful storm whipped through the community, damaging trees and knocking out power — a somber spirit surrounded the gathering space outside police headquarters. Police in full dress uniforms assembled for the ceremony along with family members of the fallen officers, city employees and other onlookers.
Sterling Heights Mayor Pro Tem Liz Sierawski told the small crowd that police officers are the “thin blue line that stands between order and chaos, between safety and danger, between hope and despair.”
She noted the “ultimate sacrifice” of the city’s three lost officers — Imus, Stozenfeld and Sawyers — saying their service will never be forgotten nor will the families they left behind.
“Though years may pass, their courage does not fade, their sacrifice does not diminish, and their legacy does live on, not only in the history of this department, but in the safety of the community they helped protect and in the hearts of those who still remember them,” Sierawski said. “We cannot fully comprehend the weight of their sacrifice, and we must be honest — we can never truly repay it. No words, no gestures, no ceremonies can equal the price that they paid, but we can do, and what we must do, is to remember them, honor them and ensure their service is never forgotten.”
Imus, a U.S. Navy veteran, had been with the Sterling Heights Police Department for five years when he was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver during a Dec. 2, 1971, traffic stop on the Van Dyke expressway. He was 32 and survived by his wife, Nancy, and four children, Sherry, Susan, Daniel and Patrick. The hit-and-run driver later turned himself in and was charged with manslaughter.
Stozenfeld, 49, joined the Sterling Heights Police Department in 1966 and had a highly decorated career in which he also served a temporary stint as acting police chief. He suffered a fatal heart attack during a stressful on-duty incident on Oct. 7, 1983. He was survived by his wife, Eleanor, and children, Kim, Jan, Robert and Linda.
Sawyers came to Sterling Heights after three years on the Detroit police force and had been on duty for seven months when he was ambushed and shot in his patrol car while completing paperwork after a traffic accident. He died on June 5, 2004, the day after he was attacked. His assailant took his own life with the gun he stole from Sawyers on July 25, 2004, as authorities closed in on him in Jacksonville, Florida. The arrest attempt came after the case had been featured on the television show “America’s Most Wanted.” Sawyers, 30, left behind a wife, Yvonne, and his 11-month-old daughter, Lily.
Sawyers’ sister, Michelle Weston, who attended the ceremony along with her parents Faith and J.R., said the family appreciates how Mark’s memory is preserved and honored.
“Even after 22 years, it's so touching having the support of the Sterling Heights Police Department and the community,” she said. “They are still here for us. … It leaves me speechless.”
Weston said the police have continued to reach out and support the family since their tragic loss.
“It’s all throughout the year. It's not just a one-day thing,” she said. “They stood behind those words that they said to us back in 2004 — that Mark would never be forgotten — and they have held up to those words.”
Sterling Heights Police Chief Andrew Satterfield said law enforcement is a challenging job and the department is grateful to have the backing of its community.
“It's difficult to fully understand the profession of policing unless you've worn the uniform, carried the badge and responded to tragic, and often horrific incidents,” he said. “Officers do their best not to let those moments define them, but the images and emotions remain. Despite the challenges and criticisms and the weight that comes with this profession, we also know the overwhelming majority of citizens appreciate and support their police officers each and every day.”
In addition to honoring the service and sacrifice of its fallen heroes, the chief also acknowledged the efforts and commitment of the active Sterling police force, including three new members who were spending their first day on the job.
“I'd like to recognize the men and women of Sterling Heights Police Department, those standing in formation today, and those currently working the streets as we speak,” Satterfield said. “These officers answer the call when this community needs them the most. They serve with courage, they stand together as a display of unity, and they watch over one another every single day.”
Call Staff Writer Gary Winkelman at (586) 498-1070.