Timothy J. O’Neill Obituary, Death – Michigan State Police Trooper Remembered Nine Years After Line-of-Duty Death

Michigan State Police Trooper Timothy J. O’Neill is being remembered on the ninth anniversary of his line-of-duty death on September 20, 2017.

O’Neill, born November 11, 1988, died from injuries sustained in a motorcycle crash while patrolling in Kent County. He was 28 years old.

At approximately 7:45 a.m. on September 20, 2017, Trooper O’Neill was riding his department motorcycle when he was involved in a crash near the intersection of Wolverine Boulevard NE and Belding Road NE in Plainfield Township.

He was transported to Spectrum Health Butterworth Hospital in Grand Rapids, where he later died from his injuries.

Timothy J. O’Neill’s Career

O’Neill joined the Michigan State Police in 2014 and graduated as a member of the 126th Trooper Recruit School.

He served at the Rockford Post before becoming a member of the department’s Motor Unit in May 2017. His time with the unit was cut short just months later by the fatal crash.

Trooper O’Neill was the 53rd Michigan State Police officer to die in the line of duty.

Remembering Trooper O’Neill

On September 20, 2026, Michigan State Police and those who remember his service are honoring O’Neill’s life and sacrifice nine years after his death.

His name remains part of the Michigan State Police’s history of officers who lost their lives while serving their communities. His family, fellow officers, and others continue to remember the service he gave during his career.

Timothy J. O’Neill’s legacy lives on through the colleagues who served alongside him and the department he dedicated himself to protecting.