Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Michael Clegg died after contracting COVID-19 as the result of an exposure while on duty.
Sergeant Clegg had served with the Newark Police Department for 27 years and was assigned to the 1st Precinct.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Michael W. Clegg died on May 10, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 53.
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.
Survivors
He is survived by his mother and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-28FEF06D- 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.
Sergeant Clegg gave the Newark Police Division 27 years.
Thank you for your service to the Newark community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Clegg.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Michael W. Clegg 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. Michael W. Clegg's cause is highlighted.
How Michael W. Clegg Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Michael W. Clegg is highlighted in May.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
57 officers from Newark Police Division are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
