Roll of Honor
His Life
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Rocha died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among staff and inmates at the Santa Rita Jail in Dublin, California.
He remained on a ventilator for approximately one month before passing away.
Deputy Rocha had served with the Alameda County Sheriff's Office for 25 years and was planning on retiring in January 2021.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Walter Rocha died on July 23, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 57.
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, two stepchildren, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-CA-80D5ADCF- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- August 2, 2026
- Last updated
- August 2, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Deputy Sheriff Rocha gave the Alameda County Sheriff's Office 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Oakland community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Rocha.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
His Life Details
Deputy Sheriff Oscar Walter Rocha is one of 3,037 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.3% of all 32,587 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 5.2 percentage points below the national rate of 9.3%.
At Alameda County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 11 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 18.2% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Oscar Walter Rocha's cause is highlighted.
How Oscar Walter Rocha Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Oscar Walter Rocha is highlighted in Jul.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
10 officers from Alameda County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
