End of Watch August 24, 2021
Age 34
Tour of Duty 6 yrs 5 mo
Gender Male

Incident

Location: Florida Incident Date: Wednesday, July 28, 2021

Officer Erik Skelton died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while working at the Miami International Airport.

Officer Skelton had served with the United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs & Border Protection for over four years. He had served with the Adams County Sherriff's Office, Colorado Department of Corrections, Glendale Police Department, and the Transportation Security Administration.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Officer Erik James Skelton died on August 24, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 34.

He is one of 885 officers honored here, and one of 29 at United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations.

Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.

Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.

Survivors

Officer Skelton is survived by his wife, parents, and three sisters.

In Our Keeping

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Stewardship
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August 2, 2026
Last updated
August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Officer Skelton gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 6 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Skelton.

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

Agency

Type Federal Agency
Location Washington, DC
Platform Identity usdhscbpofofed.fed.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 24, 2021
Tour of Duty 6 yrs 5 mo
Age 34
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

The Sacrifice · Illness

Erik is one of 2,028 officers lost to illness in the United States, 7.4% of the 27,552 remembered there.

34,103 officers are remembered on this memorial. Each number below is one of them.

  1. See the roll
  2. See the roll
Compare against
I

Time

In 2021, 564 officers in the United States were lost to illness, more than in any other year.

Every year on record · United States
II

Who

Erik was 34. Of the 1,996 lost to illness in the United States whose age is recorded, half were between 42 and 58; the middle age was 51. Erik had served 6.4 years; the middle length of service was 20 years.

Age at death
Where he stood among them
Age by years of service
III

When

August holds 10.2% of these deaths in the United States; October holds the most, 14.9%. Tuesdays: 13.3%.

By month
By day of the week
IV

How

Illness deaths account for 7.4% of all 27,552 deaths in the United States, the 3rd most common cause.

Every cause
Weapons recorded
V

His people

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations has 39 officers remembered here, Erik among them.

VI

Where

Officer Erik James Skelton

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations · End of Watch August 24, 2021

Where the Name Is Cut

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial · Panel 59-W

Also Remembered

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial — requiem.nw →

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