Roll of Honor
Incident
Detention Officer Kendall Thomas died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Detention Officer Thomas had served with the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office for 13 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detention Officer Kendall Leroy Thomas died on September 10, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 47.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 6 at Maricopa 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.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife and children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AZ-1A13F2A2- 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.
Detention Officer Thomas gave the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office 13 years.
Thank you for your service to the Phoenix community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detention Officer Thomas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detention Officer Kendall Leroy Thomas 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 AZ, 16 of 330 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.8% of this state's fallen. That is 4.3 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Maricopa County Sheriff's Office, 6 of 28 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 21.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kendall Leroy Thomas's cause is highlighted.
How Kendall Leroy Thomas Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Kendall Leroy Thomas is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
27 officers from Maricopa County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
