Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Paul Knisely and Patrolman Robert Goodrich drowned in Little Apple Creek during a rescue mission at 5 am. The area had received ten inches of rain in less than 13 hours. Four policemen were rescuing people trapped by high waters in their homes when their boat capsized. Two policemen were rescued; one of the police officers was Patrolman Goodrich's son. Sergeant Knisley had served with the Wooster Police Department for over seven years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and two children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-BD7A9A8C- 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.
Sergeant Knisely gave the Wooster Police Department 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the Wooster community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Knisely.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Paul H. Knisely 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 OH, 318 of 991 officers were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 32.1% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points above the national rate of 31%.
At Wooster Police Department, 2 of 3 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 66.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Paul H. Knisely's cause is highlighted.
How Paul H. Knisely Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Paul H. Knisely is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Wooster Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
