Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant Jose Diaz-Ayala died after contracting COVID-19 while on duty at the Palm Beach County Main Detention Center.
Sergeant Diaz-Ayala had served with the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office for 14 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant Jose Antonio Diaz-Ayala died on April 4, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 38.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 5 at Palm Beach 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 three daughters, two sisters, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-1944A324- 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.
Sergeant Diaz-Ayala gave the Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office 14 years.
Thank you for your service to the West Palm Beach community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Diaz-Ayala.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant Jose Antonio Diaz-Ayala 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 FL, 81 of 1,008 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8% of this state's fallen. That is 1.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, 5 of 23 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 21.7% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Jose Antonio Diaz-Ayala's cause is highlighted.
How Jose Antonio Diaz-Ayala Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Jose Antonio Diaz-Ayala is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
22 officers from Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
