Roll of Honor

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Police Officer

Charles Leon McDonald

Forest Park Police Department — Forest Park, OH

Illness

End of Watch June 9, 2001

Age 35

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

The Vigil Panel 148 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice

Incident

Police Officer Charles McDonald suffered from over-exertion during a training exercise for a regional SWAT team at Woodland Mound Park in Hamilton County.

He was trying out for the Hamilton County Police Association's SWAT team when he began experiencing chest pains. During the training, he over-exerted himself, and a toxic chemical was released into his bloodstream that combined with a current medical condition. He was transported to a local hospital where he lapsed into a coma before succumbing to his condition the next day.

Officer McDonald had served with the Forest Park Police Department for six years.

Survivors

He is survived by his 11-year-old son, fiancee, parents, and two brothers.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-OH-1BF4F902
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.
Police Officer McDonald gave the Forest Park Police Department 6 years.
Thank you for your service to the Forest Park community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer McDonald.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Department Forest Park Police Department

Location Forest Park, OH

Platform Identity fppd.hamilton.oh.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch June 9, 2001

Tour of Duty 6 yrs

Age 35

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail Duty related illness

Police Officer Charles Leon 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 OH, 49 of 991 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.9% of this state's fallen. That is 4.2 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

Forest Park Police Department

of 1 officers

100% Illness

OH — Statewide

of 991 officers

4.9% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Charles Leon McDonald's cause is highlighted.

Felonious

17,623 (54.2%)

Accident

10,088 (31%)

Illness

2,974 (9.1%)

Cardiac

1,306 (4%)

Undetermined

260 (0.8%)

Suicide

256 (0.8%)

vehicular

1 (0%)

How Charles Leon McDonald Compares

Age at End of Watch

This officer

Avg for Illness: 47.8 years

Years of Service