Michael Allen Keathley
Agency patch
City Marshal

Michael Allen Keathley

West Police Department — West, TX
Veteran → Illness
End of Watch September 2, 2021
Age 63
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
The Vigil Panel 176 ›
Gender Male

Incident

City Marshal Michael Keathley died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Marshal Keathley was a United States Navy veteran and served with the City of West Police Department for 22 years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

City Marshal Michael Allen Keathley died on September 2, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 63.

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 and three daughters.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-C5A844AC
Stewardship
Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw
August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Michael. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. Michael is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
City Marshal Keathley gave the West Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the West community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, City Marshal Keathley.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Type Police Department
Location West, McLennan County, TX
Platform Identity westpd.mclennan.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch September 2, 2021
Tour of Duty 22 yrs
Age 63
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Military Service

Michael Allen Keathley served in the U.S. Navy (1975–1979) before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

City Marshal Michael Allen Keathley 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 TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 8.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

West Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% Illness
TX — Statewide
204
of 2,421 officers
8.4% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Allen Keathley's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How Michael Allen Keathley Compares

Age at Death
63
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
22
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Allen Keathley is highlighted in Sep.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
186
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
182
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
353
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location

Military Service

Michael Allen Keathley served in the U.S. Navy (1975–1979) before joining law enforcement.

Visit Michael Allen Keathley’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from West Police Department are honored on badge.nw.