Incident
Sergeant Walter Soileau died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Sergeant Soileau had served with the Cameron Parish Sheriff's Department for 13 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Walter Lee Soileau, Jr. died on August 19, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 62.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
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, son, and daughter.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-13B950D8- 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 Soileau gave the Cameron Parish Sheriff's Department 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Cameron community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Soileau.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Walter Lee Soileau, Jr. 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 LA, 28 of 595 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.7% of this state's fallen. That is 4.4 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Cameron Parish Sheriff's Dept., 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Walter Lee Soileau, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Walter Lee Soileau, Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Walter Lee Soileau, Jr. is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Cameron Parish Sheriff's Dept. are honored on badge.nw.
