Roll of Honor

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Sergeant

Jose Ramon Rivera

Suffolk Police Department — Suffolk, VA

Veteran → Illness

End of Watch May 31, 2021

Age 59

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

The Vigil Panel 175 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Military Department 4

Incident

Sergeant Jose Rivera died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty while assigned to Precinct 2 at 3903 Bridge Road in Suffolk.

Sergeant Rivera was a United States Marine Corps veteran who had served 14 years with the Suffolk Police Department.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Sergeant Jose Ramon Rivera died on May 31, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 59.

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.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-VA-5F01256A
Stewardship: Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
Added to badge.nw: August 2, 2026
Last updated: August 2, 2026

Honored here by 1 tribute.

Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew Jose. Claim this record.

Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Marine Corps. One record, 2 gates. Jose is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Rivera gave the Suffolk Police Department 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the Suffolk community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Rivera.

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

Agency

Department Suffolk Police Department

Type Police Department

Location Suffolk, VA

Platform Identity spd.suffolk.va.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 31, 2021

Tour of Duty 14 yrs

Age 59

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail COVID19

Military Service

Jose Ramon Rivera served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Sergeant Jose Ramon Rivera 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 Suffolk Police Department, 1 of 5 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 20% of this agency's fallen.

Suffolk Police Department

of 5 officers

20% Illness

VA — Statewide

of 655 officers

3.7% Illness

Nationwide

of 97,759 officers

0% Illness