Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Butch Nowell died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Nowell had served with the Meridian Police Department for only 69 days and had previously served 24 years with the Johnson's County Sheriff's Office.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer Wayne "Butch" Nowell, Jr. died on December 29, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 65.
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.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-C05B5464- 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.
Police Officer Nowell gave the Meridian Police Department 24 years.
Thank you for your service to the Meridian community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Nowell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Wayne "Butch" Nowell, 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 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Wayne "Butch" Nowell, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Wayne "Butch" Nowell, Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Wayne "Butch" Nowell, Jr. is highlighted in Dec.