Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Christopher Mortensen died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Sergeant Mortensen had served with the Wilkes-Barre Police Department for 20 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Christopher M. Mortensen died on December 27, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 45.
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 and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-515571E2- 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.
Sergeant Mortensen gave the Wilkes-Barre Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Wilkes-Barre community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Mortensen.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Christopher M. Mortensen 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 PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Wilkes-Barre Police Department, 3 of 6 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Christopher M. Mortensen's cause is highlighted.
How Christopher M. Mortensen Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Christopher M. Mortensen is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Wilkes-Barre Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
