Shaun Christopher Waters
Agency patch
Deputy Sheriff

Shaun Christopher Waters

Illness
End of Watch August 1, 2021
Age 42
Tour of Duty 11 yrs
The Vigil Panel 176 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Deputy Sheriff Shaun Waters died from complications of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Deputy Waters had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for 11 years and was assigned to District 4.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Deputy Sheriff Shaun Christopher Waters died on August 1, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 42.

He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 7 at Harris County Sheriff's Office.

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 two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-2DFB040B
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.
Deputy Sheriff Waters gave the Harris County Sheriff's Office 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Waters.

— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993

Agency

Location Houston, TX
Platform Identity hcso.harris.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 1, 2021
Tour of Duty 11 yrs
Age 42
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness

Deputy Sheriff Shaun Christopher Waters 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 TX, 204 of 2,421 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 8.4% of this state's fallen. That is 0.7 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.

At Harris County Sheriff's Office, 8 of 56 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 14.3% of this agency's fallen.

Harris County Sheriff's Office
8
of 56 officers
14.3% Illness
TX — Statewide
204
of 2,421 officers
8.4% Illness
Nationwide
2,974
of 32,508 officers
9.1% Illness

National Cause Distribution

How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Shaun Christopher Waters's cause is highlighted.

Felonious
17,623 (54.2%)
Accident
10,088 (31%)
Illness
2,974 (9.1%)
Cardiac
1,306 (4%)
Undetermined
260 (0.8%)
Suicide
256 (0.8%)
vehicular
1 (0%)

How Shaun Christopher Waters Compares

Age at End of Watch
42
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
11
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Shaun Christopher Waters is highlighted in Aug.

Jan
294
Feb
198
Mar
185
Apr
226
May
201
Jun
181
Jul
217
Aug
281
Sep
291
Oct
376
Nov
239
Dec
285

Incident Location