Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Johnny Tunches died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.
He had served with the Harris County Sheriff's Office for 29 years and was assigned to District 2.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy Sheriff Johnny Ramos Tunches died on November 2, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 56.
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 three daughters.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-3AA33004- 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 Tunches gave the Harris County Sheriff's Office 29 years.
Thank you for your service to the Houston community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Tunches.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Johnny Ramos Tunches 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.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Johnny Ramos Tunches's cause is highlighted.
How Johnny Ramos Tunches Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Johnny Ramos Tunches is highlighted in Nov.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
55 officers from Harris County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
