Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Paul Brown died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while on duty.
Sergeant Brown had served with the Fresno Police Department for 28 years and was assigned to the Central District.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Richard Paul Brown, II died on February 17, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 56.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Fresno 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 three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-286862D9- 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 Brown gave the Fresno Police Department 28 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fresno community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Brown.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Richard Paul Brown, II 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 CA, 75 of 1,837 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.1% of this state's fallen. That is 5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Fresno Police Department, 2 of 15 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 13.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard Paul Brown, II's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Paul Brown, II Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Paul Brown, II is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
14 officers from Fresno Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
