Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Michael Partin drowned after falling almost 90 feet through a gap in the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge into the Ohio River at approximately 2:30 am. Officer Partin was joining a foot chase for a man wanted for DUI, possession of marijuana, and running a red light. Officers on the scene searched the river by air and boat for Officer Partin's body but were unable to locate it. His body was found on May 18, 1998, eleven miles downstream from where he fell into the river. The suspect was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in connection with Officer Partin's death and was sentenced to 6 years in prison. He was released after serving two years. Officer Partin had served with the Covington Police Department for 2 years. He is survived by his wife and child. The road behind the Covington Police Department was renamed Michael Partin Court in his honor. He is buried in Highland Cemetery, Fort Mitchell, Kenton County, KY.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-KY-B8BB1C57- 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.
Officer Partin gave the Covington Police Department 2 years.
Thank you for your service to the Covington community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Partin.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Michael Anthony Partin 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 KY, 161 of 983 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 16.4% of this state's fallen. That is 14.6 percentage points below the national rate of 31%.
At Covington Police Department, 4 of 9 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Anthony Partin's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Anthony Partin Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Anthony Partin is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Covington Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
