Roll of Honor
Incident
Chief of Police Richard Barnes died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Chief Barnes had served with the Newbern Police Department for 42 years and seven years as the Chief of Police.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Chief of Police Richard Lee "Red" Barnes died on September 2, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 63.
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, three daughters, four sons, 15 grandchildren, and 18 great-grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TN-6BEE9DBC- 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.
Chief of Police Barnes gave the Newbern Police Department 42 years.
Thank you for your service to the Newbern community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Chief of Police Barnes.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Chief of Police Richard Lee "Red" Barnes 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 TN, 43 of 769 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Richard Lee "Red" Barnes's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Lee "Red" Barnes Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Lee "Red" Barnes is highlighted in Sep.