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Deputy Sheriff

Richard William O'Brien, Jr.

Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services — Chicago, IL

Illness

End of Watch May 3, 2020

Age 53

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

The Vigil Panel 171 ›

Gender Male

Incident Service The Sacrifice Department 7

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Richard O'Brien died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among inmates and correctional staff at the Cook County Jail at 2650 S. California Avenue in Chicago.

Deputy O'Brien had served with the Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services for 25 years and was assigned to the Skokie Civil Process Unit.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Deputy Sheriff Richard William O'Brien, Jr. died on May 3, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 53.

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 and three children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier: BO-US-IL-00A6E7E5
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 Sheriff O'Brien gave the Cook County Sheriff's Office 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Chicago community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff O'Brien.

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

Agency

Department Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services

Location Chicago, IL

Platform Identity ccsodcsso.cook.il.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch May 3, 2020

Tour of Duty 25 yrs

Age 53

Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Cause Detail COVID19

Deputy Sheriff Richard William O'Brien, 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 IL, 66 of 1,318 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5% of this state's fallen. That is 4.1 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services, 1 of 8 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 12.5% of this agency's fallen.

Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Court Services

of 8 officers

12.5% Illness

IL — Statewide

of 1,318 officers

5% Illness

Nationwide

2,974

of 32,508 officers

9.1% Illness