Douglas Warren Sanford
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Douglas Warren Sanford

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office — Noblesville, IN
Illness
End of Watch March 29, 2022
Age 48
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
The Vigil Panel 179 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Doug Sanford died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Deputy Sanford was assigned as the Animal Control Supervisor with the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office for nine years and previously served with the Carmel Police Department for two years, the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department in Indiana for three years, and the Ionia County Sheriff's Office in Michigan for seven years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Deputy Sheriff Douglas Warren Sanford died on March 29, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 48.

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

Survivors include his wife, son, and daughter.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-IN-46AD0504
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.
Deputy Sheriff Sanford gave the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Noblesville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Sanford.

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

Agency

Type Sheriff's Office
Location Noblesville, Hamilton County, IN
Platform Identity hcso.hamilton.in.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch March 29, 2022
Tour of Duty 18 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Deputy Sheriff Douglas Warren Sanford 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 IN, 13 of 503 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.6% of this state's fallen. That is 2.6 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

Hamilton County Sheriff's Office
1
of 1 officers
100% Illness
IN — Statewide
13
of 503 officers
2.6% Illness
Nationwide
1
of 97,772 officers
0% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Douglas Warren Sanford's cause is highlighted.

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

How Douglas Warren Sanford Compares

Age at Death
48
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
18
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Douglas Warren Sanford is highlighted in Mar.

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

Others Who Wore This Badge

0 officers from Hamilton County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.