FRANKFORT — The widow of a police officer who fell to his death in the Ohio River said she was encouraged by the Kentucky Supreme Court's decision Thursday to uphold the manslaughter conviction of the man he was chasing.

        “I, along with Michael's family, believe God is with us,” Lisa Partin, widow of Covington officer Michael Partin, said.

        A divided court released the opinion Thursday morning, saying Shawnta Robertson's actions directly caused Officer Partin to fall through an opening between the roadway and walkway of the Clay Wade Bailey Bridge in January 1998.

        Officer Partin, who was a rookie on the force, died as he was helping other officers chase Mr. Robertson, who had been pulled over on suspicion of drunken driving.

        Justice William S. Cooper of Elizabethtown wrote in his majority opinion that the Kenton County jury had enough evidence to convict Mr. Robertson of second-degree manslaughter.

        “The conduct that supports (Mr. Robertson's) conviction is the continuation of his unlawful flight when he obviously knew that Partin intended to pursue him ...and that, to do so, Partin would be required to cross the open space between the roadway and walkway, thereby risk falling to his death,” the opinion states.

        Mr. Robertson served 2 1/2 years in prison and was paroled in 2000.

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