Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Kendle Blackburn died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 from a presumed exposure while on duty.
Officer Blackburn had served with the Lebanon Police Department for 16 years and had previously served with the Laclede County Sheriff’s Office for five years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer Kendle Glen Blackburn died on December 28, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 55.
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-MO-28C9D24C- 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.
Police Officer Blackburn gave the Lebanon Police Department 21 years.
Thank you for your service to the Lebanon community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Blackburn.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Kendle Glen Blackburn 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 MO, 26 of 813 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.2% of this state's fallen. That is 5.9 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Lebanon Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Kendle Glen Blackburn's cause is highlighted.
How Kendle Glen Blackburn Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Kendle Glen Blackburn is highlighted in Dec.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Lebanon Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
