Roll of Honor
Emil R. Kleinwaechter
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Emil Kleinwaechter was struck and killed by a vehicle while directing traffic around the scene of a serious vehicle crash on Wooster Pike, east of Newtown Road. He had tended to the injured citizen and then set out flares to warn oncoming traffic. He and another officer were directing traffic around the wreckage when another car entered the area at a high rate of speed. The vehicle struck Deputy Kleinwaechter, killing him instantly and throwing his body 87 feet. The driver of the car that struck him was convicted of second-degree manslaughter and sentenced to prison. Deputy Kleinwaechter was a U.S. Army veteran and had served with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for 13 years.
Survivors
He was survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OH-BFE8A753- 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 served 1985 to 1993. You served too, before the badge - different uniform, same idea. You go where you are sent and you do not get to pick the call.
Deputy Sheriff Kleinwaechter gave the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cincinnati community, and for your service before it. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, brother.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Emil R. Kleinwaechter served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Deputy Sheriff Emil R. Kleinwaechter 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 Hamilton County Sheriff's Office, 4 of 13 officers on record were lost to accidents in the line of duty — 30.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Accident compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Emil R. Kleinwaechter's cause is highlighted.
How Emil R. Kleinwaechter Compares
When Accident Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Accident deaths across the full memorial record. Emil R. Kleinwaechter is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
12 officers from Hamilton County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
