Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Howard Gudgell died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Deputy Gudgell had served with the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office for 18 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.
Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.
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
Deputy Sheriff William Howard Gudgell died on September 17, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 72.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 5 at Tarrant 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-3A51DEC8- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- September 9, 2026
Honored here by 1 tribute.
Are you family? This record can be claimed and maintained by those who knew William. Claim this record.
This page is permanent and free. No fee to view it, no advertising, no tracking, and no account required. It will not be taken down.
Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Deputy Sheriff Gudgell gave the Tarrant County Sheriff's Office 18 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Worth community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Gudgell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff William Howard Gudgell is one of 1 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 0% of all 97,784 officers honored here.
In TX, 204 of 2,422 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 Tarrant County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 13 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 38.5% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Howard Gudgell's cause is highlighted.
How William Howard Gudgell Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William Howard Gudgell is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
12 officers from Tarrant County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
