Roll of Honor
Incident
Captain Jonathan Parnell died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.
Captain Parnell had served with the Detroit Police Department for 31 years and was assigned to the Homicide Unit.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Captain Jonathan David Parnell died on March 24, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 4 at Detroit 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 three sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-MI-18376B30- 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.
Captain Parnell gave the Detroit Police Department 31 years.
Thank you for your service to the Detroit community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Parnell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Jonathan David Parnell 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 MI, 23 of 718 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 5.9 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Detroit Police Department, 7 of 250 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jonathan David Parnell's cause is highlighted.
How Jonathan David Parnell Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Jonathan David Parnell is highlighted in Mar.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
249 officers from Detroit Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
