Officer Michael Partin drowned after falling almost 90 feet through a gap in a bridge into the Ohio River at approximately 02:30 am. Officer Partin was joining a foot chase for a man wanted for DUI, possession of marijuana, and running a red light.
Officers on the scene searched the river by air and boat for Officer Partin's body but were unable to locate it. His body was found on May 18, 1998, eleven miles downstream from where he fell into the river.
The suspect was found guilty of second-degree manslaughter in connection with Officer Partin's death and was sentenced to 6 years in prison.
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INCIDENT
At 2 a.m. on January 4, 1998 Kenton County Police Officer Brian Kane pulled over a Volvo on W. 4th Street in Covington for suspicion of driving while intoxicated and running a red light. During the initial investigation, the officer found the driver, Shawnta Michael Robertson (20) of Cincinnati to be intoxicated and in possession of marijuana.
Robertson suddenly took off running down 4th Street and across the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge. Officer Kane broadcast that he was in pursuit at 2:30 a.m. Officer Partin responded and drove to and over the bridge to a point ahead of the pursuit.
By this time, Officer Kane had caught up to Robertson who was resisting the arrest. Officer Partin, seeing that Officer Kane needed help, vaulted over the concrete divider between the roadway and walkway portions of the bridge. From his vantage point, he could not see that there was a three foot gap between them. He fell to his death into the frigid waters of the Ohio River.
Officer Kane subdued Robertson and charged him with the red light violation, driving under the influence, and resisting arrest. Robertson was released on bond the next day.
SEARCH
For the rest of January and into February, law enforcement, divers, Coast Guard, helicopters, boats, underwater cameras and sonar, etc. were used to search for Officer Partin’s body in a search area that expanded to as far as 14 miles down river over time. Finally, the search was called off in the hopes the spring would bring thermal changes to the river and his body would be recovered.
Finally, on May 18, 1998, one week after he was honored in Police Memorial Day ceremonies, Officer Partin’s body was recovered near a boat on the Ohio side of the river, 1½ miles west of Anderson Ferry Road and 9½ miles from where he had entered the river.