Roll of Honor
Incident
Lieutenant Matthew Dow died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 while assigned to the Cross Creek District substation at 6147 Raeford Road in Fayetteville.
Lieutenant Dow had served with the Fayetteville Police Department for over 26 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Lieutenant Matthew Eric Dow died on October 1, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 50.
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 two sons, father, mother, former wife, sister, two brothers, and fiancée.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-NC-8792DA17- 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.
Lieutenant Dow gave the Fayetteville Police Department 26 years.
Thank you for your service to the Fayetteville community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Lieutenant Dow.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Lieutenant Matthew Eric Dow 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 NC, 37 of 664 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 5.6% of this state's fallen. That is 3.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Fayetteville Police Department, 1 of 10 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 10% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Matthew Eric Dow's cause is highlighted.
How Matthew Eric Dow Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Matthew Eric Dow is highlighted in Oct.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
9 officers from Fayetteville Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
