Roll of Honor
Incident
Detention Officer Robert Perez died as the result of contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak at the Harris County Jail.
Detention Officer Perez was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for five 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
Detention Officer Robert Perez died on February 2, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 7 at Harris County Sheriff's Office.
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-TX-E88049BA- 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.
Detention Officer Perez gave the Harris County Sheriff's Office 5 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detention Officer Perez.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Robert Perez served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Detention Officer Robert Perez 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 TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Harris County Sheriff's Office, 8 of 56 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 14.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Robert Perez's cause is highlighted.
How Robert Perez Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Robert Perez is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
55 officers from Harris County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
