Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Richard Stephens died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Chief Stephens had served with the Union City Police Department for 25 years. He is survived by his wife, three children, and three grandchildren. His son is a Police Chief in Oklahoma.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Chief of Police Richard Leslie Stephens died on February 4, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 54.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Union 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, three children, and three grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-OK-19C54283- 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.
Chief of Police Stephens gave the Union City Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Union City community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Stephens.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Richard Leslie Stephens 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 OK, 21 of 582 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.6% of this state's fallen. That is 5.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Union City Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard Leslie Stephens's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Leslie Stephens Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Leslie Stephens is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Union City Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
