End of Watch October 1, 2020
Age 50
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
The Vigil Panel 173 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deportation Officer Danny Laughner died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Officer Laughner had served with the United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations for nine 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.

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

Deportation Officer Danny Keith Laughner, Jr. died on October 1, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 13 at United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations.

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

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BO-US-FED-1C096446
Stewardship
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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.
Deportation Officer Laughner gave the United States Department of Homeland Security 9 years.
Thank you for your service. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deportation Officer Laughner.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Service Record

End of Watch October 1, 2020
Tour of Duty 9 yrs
Age 50
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Deportation Officer Danny Keith Laughner, 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 DC, 137 of 1,419 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.7% of this state's fallen. That is 0.6 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.

At United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations, 13 of 15 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 86.7% of this agency's fallen.

United States Department of Homeland Security - Immigration and Customs Enforcement - Office of Enforcement and Removal Operations
13
of 15 officers
86.7% Illness
DC — Statewide
137
of 1,419 officers
9.7% Illness
Nationwide
2,974
of 32,508 officers
9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Danny Keith Laughner, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Danny Keith Laughner, Jr. Compares

Age at End of Watch
50
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
9
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Danny Keith Laughner, Jr. is highlighted in Oct.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
185
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
181
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
291
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location