Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Matt Hefter died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Hefter had served with the Phoenix Police Department for over 24 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer Mathew Aaron Hefter died on August 7, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 3 at Phoenix 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 son, sister, aunts, nieces, and nephews.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AZ-8F41327E- 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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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Police Officer Hefter gave the Phoenix Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Phoenix community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Hefter.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Mathew Aaron Hefter 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 AZ, 16 of 330 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.8% of this state's fallen. That is 4.8 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At Phoenix Police Department, 3 of 47 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 6.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Mathew Aaron Hefter's cause is highlighted.
How Mathew Aaron Hefter Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Mathew Aaron Hefter is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
46 officers from Phoenix Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
