Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Joshua Welge died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Deputy Welge had served with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office for 16 years and had previously served with the Venice Police Department for six years.
Deputy Welge had served with the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office for 16 years and had previously served with the Venice Police Department for six years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy Sheriff Joshua Joseph Welge died on October 21, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 43.
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 and three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-EB2F0477- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Welge gave the Sarasota County Sheriff's Office 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Sarasota community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Welge.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Joshua Joseph Welge 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 FL, 81 of 1,008 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Sarasota County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Joshua Joseph Welge's cause is highlighted.
How Joshua Joseph Welge Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Joshua Joseph Welge is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Sarasota County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
