Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy First Class William Diaz died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Deputy Diaz had served with Lee County Sheriff's Office for three years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy First Class William Nelson Diaz died on August 31, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 29.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Lee 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 one child.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-FL-29909EB9- 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.
Deputy First Class Diaz gave the Lee County Sheriff's Office 3 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fort Myers community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy First Class Diaz.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy First Class William Nelson Diaz 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 Lee County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 10 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 20% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. William Nelson Diaz's cause is highlighted.
How William Nelson Diaz Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. William Nelson Diaz is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
9 officers from Lee County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
