Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Michael E. German died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Chief German had been the police chief of the Prairie City Police Department for 1-1/2 years and had served with the department for almost eight years. He had over 28 years of law enforcement service and had previously served with the St. Charles Police Department, Eddyville Police Department, Meskwaki Nation Police Department, Tama Police Department, Monroe Police Department, Mitchellville Police Department, Baxter Police Department, and the Iowa State Fair Police Department.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Chief of Police Michael E. German died on January 13, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty.
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 children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IA-02F3E8C4- 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
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Chief of Police German gave the Prairie City Police Department 28 years.
Thank you for your service to the Prairie City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police German.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Michael E. German is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In IA, 12 of 226 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.3% of this state's fallen. That is 3.8 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Prairie City Police Dept., 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael E. German's cause is highlighted.
How Michael E. German Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Michael E. German is highlighted in Jan.
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Prairie City Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
