Roll of Honor
Incident
Reserve Police Officer David Ruiz died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Ruiz was a United States Navy veteran. He served with the Dallas Police Department for 32 years and then patrolled for four years as a reserve officer.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Reserve Police Officer David Edward Ruiz died on August 22, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 65.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 5 at Dallas Police Department.
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
Officer Ruiz is survived by his wife, three children, and three step-children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-5189D0FE- 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.
Reserve Police Officer Ruiz gave the Dallas Police Department 36 years.
Thank you for your service to the Dallas community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Reserve Police Officer Ruiz.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
David Edward Ruiz served in the Navy (1975â1979) before joining law enforcement.
Reserve Police Officer David Edward Ruiz 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 Dallas Police Department, 6 of 95 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 6.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. David Edward Ruiz's cause is highlighted.
How David Edward Ruiz Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. David Edward Ruiz is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
94 officers from Dallas Police Department are honored on badge.nw. Showing the 16 most recent.
