Roll of Honor
Ronald William Smith
Incident
Police Officer Ronald Smith died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Smith was a veteran of both the Alaska National Guard and the Minnesota National Guard. He had served with the New York Mills Police Department for 14 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer Ronald William Smith died on December 15, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 58.
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, three children, parents, and five grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MN-11232FF7- 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.
Police Officer Smith gave the New York Mills Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York Mills community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Smith.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Ronald William Smith served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer Ronald William Smith 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 MN, 9 of 293 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.1% of this state's fallen. That is 6 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ronald William Smith's cause is highlighted.
How Ronald William Smith Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Ronald William Smith is highlighted in Dec.