David J. Nieves
Agency patch
Master Police Officer

David J. Nieves

Virginia Beach Police Department — Virginia Beach, VA
Veteran → Illness
End of Watch February 1, 2022
Age 52
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
The Vigil Panel 179 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Master Police Officer David Nieves died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Officer Nieves was a United States Navy veteran and had served with the Virginia Beach Police Department for 26 years, assigned to the 2nd Precinct.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Master Police Officer David J. Nieves died on February 1, 2022 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 wife, two sons, grandson, parents, brother, and sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-VA-3E586A32
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Navy. One record, 2 gates. David is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Master Police Officer Nieves gave the Virginia Beach Police Department 26 years.
Thank you for your service to the Virginia Beach community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Master Police Officer Nieves.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location Virginia Beach, VA
Platform Identity vbpd.virginiabeach.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 1, 2022
Tour of Duty 26 yrs
Age 52
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Military Service

David J. Nieves served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Master Police Officer David J. Nieves is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,759 officers honored here.

In VA, 24 of 655 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.7% of this state's fallen. That is 3.7 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At Virginia Beach Police Department, 1 of 12 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.3% of this agency's fallen.

Virginia Beach Police Department
1
of 12 officers
8.3% Illness
VA — Statewide
24
of 655 officers
3.7% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,759 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David J. Nieves's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
1 (0%)
Accident
1 (0%)
Illness
1 (0%)
Cardiac
1 (0%)
Undetermined
1 (0%)
Suicide
1 (0%)

How David J. Nieves Compares

Age at Death
52
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
26
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. David J. Nieves is highlighted in Feb.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
186
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
182
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
353
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location

Military Service

David J. Nieves served in the U.S. Navy before joining law enforcement.

Visit David J. Nieves’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.