Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective Alex Ruperto died after contracting COVID-19 while performing patrol duties.
Detective Ruperto had served with the Union City Police Department for 21 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detective Alex Ruperto died on April 16, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 52.
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 two adult children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-63CB61C6- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Detective Ruperto gave the Union City Police Department 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the Union City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Ruperto.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Alex Ruperto is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In NJ, 77 of 646 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 11.9% of this state's fallen. That is 2.8 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Union City Police Department, 1 of 6 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 16.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Alex Ruperto's cause is highlighted.
How Alex Ruperto Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Alex Ruperto is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Union City Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
