Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Juan Rivera-Padua died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Lieutenant Rivera-Padua had served with the Puerto Rico Police Department for 31 years and was assigned to the San Juan Area Motorized Unit.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Lieutenant Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua died on January 23, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 51.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 7 at Puerto Rico Police Department.
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.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PR-94469804- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Lieutenant Rivera-Padua gave the Puerto Rico Police Department 31 years.
Thank you for your service to the San Juan community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Rivera-Padua.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,787 officers honored here.
In 127, 7 of 388 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Puerto Rico Police Department, 7 of 364 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.9% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua's cause is highlighted.
How Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Juan Rafael Rivera-Padua is highlighted in Jan.
Where the Name Is Cut
Others Who Wore This Badge
363 officers from Puerto Rico Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
