Roll of Honor
Incident
Officer Scott Merritt died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Merritt had served with the California Highway Patrol for 16 years and was assigned the Bakersfield Area office.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Officer Scott Edward Merritt died on September 10, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 42.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 4 at California Highway Patrol.
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, daughter, parents, and brother.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-7AE98733- 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.
Officer Merritt gave the California Highway Patrol 16 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of California. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Officer Merritt.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Officer Scott Edward Merritt 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 CA, 75 of 1,837 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.1% of this state's fallen. That is 5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At California Highway Patrol, 5 of 233 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.1% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Scott Edward Merritt's cause is highlighted.
How Scott Edward Merritt Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Scott Edward Merritt is highlighted in Sep.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
232 officers from California Highway Patrol are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
