Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Sonny Perez died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Sergeant Perez had served with the El Paso Police Department for 29 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Santos "Sonny" Perez died on December 2, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 52.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 4 at El Paso 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, two daughters, a son, his brother, and grandson.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-267BE369- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Sergeant Perez gave the El Paso Police Department 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the El Paso community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Perez.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Santos "Sonny" Perez is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,756 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 8.4 percentage points above the national rate of 0%.
At El Paso Police Department, 4 of 34 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 11.8% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Santos "Sonny" Perez's cause is highlighted.
How Santos "Sonny" Perez Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Santos "Sonny" Perez is highlighted in Dec.
Others Who Wore This Badge
33 officers from El Paso Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
