Roll of Honor

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Patrolman

Paul John Metzger

Kettering Police Department — Kettering, OH

Accident Veteran

End of Watch April 3, 1972

Age 28

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 11 mo

Badge 43

The Vigil Panel 110 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Patrolman Paul Metzger was killed in an automobile crash at West Dorothy Lane and Patterson Boulevard while responding to assist a security guard who had apprehended a shoplifting suspect. During the response Patrolman Metzger's patrol car hydroplaned on the wet road surface and struck a vehicle traveling in the opposite direction. Patrolman Metzger was a U.S. Army veteran of the Vietnam War and had served with the Kettering Police Department for just under three years.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-51969CAF
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: April 2, 2026
Last updated: July 23, 2026

Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.

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Tributes

I served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Patrolman Metzger gave the Kettering Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Kettering community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.

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

Agency

Department Kettering Police Department

Location Kettering, OH

Platform Identity kpd.montgomery.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch April 3, 1972

Tour of Duty 2 yrs 11 mo

Age 28

Badge Number 43

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Accident

Military Service

Paul John Metzger served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.

Patrolman Paul John Metzger is one of 10,088 officers lost to accidents in the line of duty across the full record of this memorial — 31% of all 32,508 officers honored here.

In OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.

Kettering Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Accident

OH — Statewide

318

of 991 officers

32.1% Accident

Nationwide

10,088

of 32,508 officers

31% Accident

National Cause Distribution

How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Paul John Metzger's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Paul John Metzger Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Accident: 38.1 years

Years of Service

2.9