Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective Marcus Thomas died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Detective Thomas had served with the Newark Police Department for 27 years.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detective Marcus Thomas died on September 28, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 8 at Newark Police Division.
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.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-AC7AB777- 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.
Detective Thomas gave the Newark Police Division 27 years.
Thank you for your service to the Newark community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Thomas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Marcus Thomas 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 NJ, 77 of 646 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 11.9% of this state's fallen. That is 2.8 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
At Newark Police Division, 8 of 58 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 13.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Marcus Thomas's cause is highlighted.
How Marcus Thomas Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Marcus Thomas is highlighted in Sep.
Others Who Wore This Badge
57 officers from Newark Police Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
