Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Michael McDonald died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty while supervising the mobile command vehicle at the Carolina Classic Fair at 421 27th Street NW in Winston-Salem.
Sergeant McDonald had served with the Winston-Salem Police Department for 25 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Michael Shannon McDonald died on October 22, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 49.
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, son, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-0EC9A9A6- 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.
Sergeant McDonald gave the Winston-Salem Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Winston-Salem community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant McDonald.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Michael Shannon McDonald 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 NC, 37 of 664 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Winston-Salem Police Dept., 1 of 19 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Michael Shannon McDonald's cause is highlighted.
How Michael Shannon McDonald Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Michael Shannon McDonald is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
18 officers from Winston-Salem Police Dept. are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
