Clay Eugene Garrison
Agency patch
Sergeant

Clay Eugene Garrison

Illness
End of Watch August 25, 2021
Age 48
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
The Vigil Panel 176 ›
Gender Male

Incident

Sergeant Clay Garrison died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.

Sergeant Garrison served with the Port of Galveston Police Department for 17 years.

COVID-19 and Law Enforcement

Sergeant Clay Eugene Garrison died on August 25, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 48.

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 two children.

In Our Keeping

Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-3182E07F
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.
Sergeant Garrison gave the Port of Galveston Police Department 17 years.
Thank you for your service to the Galveston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Garrison.

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

Agency

Location Galveston, TX
Platform Identity pgpd.galveston.tx.us.gov.nw

Service Record

End of Watch August 25, 2021
Tour of Duty 17 yrs
Age 48
Gender Male

Incident Details

Cause Illness
Cause Detail COVID19

Sergeant Clay Eugene Garrison 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%.

Port of Galveston Police Department
1
of 1 officers
100% 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. Clay Eugene Garrison'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 Clay Eugene Garrison Compares

Age at End of Watch
48
This officer
Avg for Illness: 47.8 years
Years of Service
17
This officer
Avg for Illness: 18.9 years

When Illness Deaths Occur

Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Clay Eugene Garrison 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