Incident
Captain Steven Gaudet died as the result of contracting COVID-19 during a confirmed exposure while on duty.
It is believed he was exposed during a 4th of July event at the town hall on July 3rd, 2020.
Captain Gaudet had served with the Pearl River Police Department for three years and had previously served with the New Orleans Police Department for 17 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Captain Steven Michael Gaudet, Jr. died on July 16, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 39.
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, two sons, and parents.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-LA-3292992B- 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.
Captain Gaudet gave the Pearl River Police Department 20 years.
Thank you for your service to the Pearl River community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Captain Gaudet.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Captain Steven Michael Gaudet, 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 LA, 28 of 595 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 4.7% of this state's fallen. That is 4.4 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Steven Michael Gaudet, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How Steven Michael Gaudet, Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Steven Michael Gaudet, Jr. is highlighted in Jul.