Roll of Honor
Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson
Incident
Corrections Officer Al-Mustafa Pearson died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while working at the Essex County Department of Corrections at 354 Doremus Avenue in Newark.
Officer Pearson had served with the Essex County Department of Corrections for over 24 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Corrections Officer Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson died on October 6, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 46.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
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
He is survived by his wife, daughter, two brothers, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-EDCB3392- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- 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.
Corrections Officer Pearson gave the Essex County Department of Corrections 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Corrections Officer Pearson.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Corrections Officer Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,772 officers honored here.
In NJ, 112 of 646 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 17.3% of this state's fallen. That is 17.3 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Essex County Department of Corrections, 1 of 3 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson's cause is highlighted.
How Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Al-Mustafa Is-Salaam Pearson is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Essex County Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
