Isaiah “Ike” McKinnon
Isaiah “Ike” McKinnon
Isaiah “Ike” McKinnon was born in Montgomery, Alabama on 21 June 1943, the son of Cota and Lula McKinnon. Ike attended Cass Tech High School in Detroit, Michigan. He holds a doctorate in higher education administration from Michigan State University, a master's in criminal justice from Mercy College of Detroit, and a bachelor's in history and law enforcement from the University of Detroit. Ike served in the United States Air Force from 1961 to 1965. He attended basic training in Texas, and spent three years at Minot Air Force Base in North Dakota. During his last year in the military, he served overseas in the Philippines and Vietnam. He credits his time in the military, his family, and his faith as the foundations for his future success. McKinnon, after his military service, joined the Detroit Police Department. He served from 1965 to 1984, in positions of increasing responsibility. He was appointed as Chief of Police in 1993, serving in this role until 1998. He was one of the first African-American officers in the Detroit police force. Ike’s strength of character and spirit propelled him to serve as deputy mayor of Detroit from 2013 to 2016. He also held a position as a professor at the University of Detroit Mercy.