Leonard Swanson
Agency patch
Police Officer

Leonard Swanson

Veteran → Illness
End of Watch February 5, 2022
Age 50
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
The Vigil Panel 179 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Police Officer Leonard Swanson died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Officer Swanson was a United States Army veteran and had served with the New York City Police Department for 19 years, assigned to the 30th Precinct.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Police Officer Leonard Swanson died on February 5, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 18 at New York City 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 and children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NY-73CFBA2A
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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Also honored at salute.nw — U.S. Army. One record, 2 gates. Leonard is one person.

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Tributes

The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Police Officer Swanson gave the New York City Police Department 19 years.
Thank you for your service to the New York community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Swanson.

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

Agency

Type Police Department
Location New York, NY
Platform Identity nypd.newyork.ny.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch February 5, 2022
Tour of Duty 19 yrs
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Military Service

Leonard Swanson served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

View full service record on salute.nw →

Police Officer Leonard Swanson 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 NY, 655 of 2,147 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 30.5% of this state's fallen. That is 30.5 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.

At New York City Police Department, 538 of 1237 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 43.5% of this agency's fallen.

New York City Police Department
538
of 1,237 officers
43.5% Illness
NY — Statewide
655
of 2,147 officers
30.5% 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. Leonard Swanson's cause is highlighted.

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

How Leonard Swanson Compares

Age at Death
50
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.7 years
Years of Service
19
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.7 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Leonard Swanson is highlighted in Feb.

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

Military Service

Leonard Swanson served in the U.S. Army before joining law enforcement.

Visit Leonard Swanson’s page on salute.nw →

His full service record — units, decorations, where he served — is kept on salute.nw.