Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Paul Prater was killed when he was struck by a vehicle during a traffic stop on Indiana 671, near County Road 150 north of Redkey. He had stopped a van for speeding and as he stood by the driver's side of the van, a northbound vehicle struck him, killing him instantly. The driver was charged with reckless homicide. Deputy Prater had served with the Jay County Sheriff's Office for 3½ years.
Survivors
Survivor in law
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-842C5524- 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 never knew you. I am standing here anyway.
Deputy Sheriff Prater gave the Jay County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Portland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Prater.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Paul H. Prater 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 IN, 151 of 503 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30% of this state's fallen. That is 1 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Paul H. Prater's cause is highlighted.
How Paul H. Prater Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Paul H. Prater is highlighted in Jan.