Roll of Honor
Incident
Senior Police Officer Ernest Leal died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.
Officer Leal had served with the Houston Police Department for 36 years and was assigned to the North Patrol Division.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Senior Police Officer Ernest Leal, Jr. died on November 27, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 60.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Houston Police Department.
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, four children, mother, and three siblings.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-23A4DA70- 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.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Ernest. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Senior Police Officer Leal gave the Houston Police Department 36 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Senior Police Officer Leal.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Senior Police Officer Ernest Leal, Jr. 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 TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Houston Police Department, 2 of 117 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 1.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Ernest Leal, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Ernest Leal, Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Ernest Leal, Jr. is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
116 officers from Houston Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
