Roll of Honor
James Edward Simonetti
Incident
Police Officer Jimmy Simonetti died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 while performing his duties on the Carnegie Mellon University Campus at 5000 Forbes Avenue in Pittsburgh.
Officer Simonetti had served with the Carnegie Mellon University Police Department for over 25 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer James Edward Simonetti died on October 13, 2021 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 five children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-PA-BBD60819- 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 Simonetti gave the Carnegie Mellon University Police Department 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Pittsburgh community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Simonetti.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer James Edward Simonetti 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 PA, 121 of 1,261 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 9.6% of this state's fallen. That is 0.5 percentage points above the national rate of 9.1%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Edward Simonetti's cause is highlighted.
How James Edward Simonetti Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. James Edward Simonetti is highlighted in Oct.