Roll of Honor
Richard Jose Santiago
Incident
Correctional Officer Richard Santiago died from complications as the result of contracting COVID in the line of duty.
Officer Santiago had served with the Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections for seven years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Richard Jose Santiago died on October 20, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 31.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 4 at Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections.
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 son, parents, sister, and fiancé.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-IL-F25B78AE- 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.
Correctional Officer Santiago gave the Cook County Sheriff's Office 7 years.
Thank you for your service to the people of Illinois. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Santiago.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Correctional Officer Richard Jose Santiago 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 Corrections, 4 of 9 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 44.4% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard Jose Santiago's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Jose Santiago Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Jose Santiago is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
8 officers from Cook County Sheriff's Office - Department of Corrections are honored on badge.nw.
