Vincent R. Butler
Agency patch
Senior Correctional Police Officer

Vincent R. Butler

Illness
End of Watch December 28, 2020
Age 49
Tour of Duty 23 yrs
The Vigil Panel 174 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Senior Correctional Police Officer Vince Butler died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the South Woods State Prison at 215 S. Burlington Road in Bridgeton.

Officer Butler had served with the New Jersey Department of Corrections for 23 years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Senior Correctional Police Officer Vincent R. Butler died on December 28, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 49.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 6 at New Jersey Department of Corrections.

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 daughters, two sons, and a sister.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-NJ-0F1450F6
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.
Senior Correctional Police Officer Butler gave the New Jersey Department of Corrections 23 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of New Jersey. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Senior Correctional Police Officer Butler.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location Trenton, NJ
Platform Identity njdcorr.mercer.nj.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch December 28, 2020
Tour of Duty 23 yrs
Age 49
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Senior Correctional Police Officer Vincent R. Butler 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 New Jersey Department of Corrections, 8 of 32 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 25% of this agency's fallen.

New Jersey Department of Corrections
8
of 32 officers
25% Illness
NJ — Statewide
77
of 646 officers
11.9% Illness
Nationwide
2,974
of 32,508 officers
9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Vincent R. Butler's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Vincent R. Butler Compares

Age at End of Watch
49
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
23
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Vincent R. Butler is highlighted in Dec.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
185
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
181
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
291
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location