Roll of Honor
Lee Michael Hackbarth
Incident
Corrections Officer Lee Hackbarth died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Red Wing Facility at 1079 Country 292 Boulevard in Red Wing.
Officer Hackbarth was a United States Coast Guard and Navy Reserve veteran and served with the Minnesota Department of Corrections for 20 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Corrections Officer II Lee Michael Hackbarth died on December 10, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 59.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, two sons, father, and seven siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MN-345BF091- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Lee is one person.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Corrections Officer II Hackbarth gave the Minnesota Department of Corrections 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Minnesota. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer II Hackbarth.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Lee Michael Hackbarth served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Corrections Officer II Lee Michael Hackbarth is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.
In MN, 9 of 293 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.1% of this state's fallen. That is 3.1 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Minnesota Department of Corrections, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Lee Michael Hackbarth's cause is highlighted.
How Lee Michael Hackbarth Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Lee Michael Hackbarth is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Military Service
Lee Michael Hackbarth served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.
Visit Lee Michael Hackbarth’s page on salute.nw →
His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Minnesota Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
