Roll of Honor
Dudley James Champ
Incident
Correctional Officer Dudley Champ died after contracting COVID-19 during an outbreak among staff and inmates at the Jefferson County Correctional Facility at 5030 US-69 in Beaumont.
Officer Champ was a U.S. Navy veteran and had served with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office for one year.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Correctional Officer Dudley James Champ died on August 10, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 58.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Jefferson 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 sons.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-8E28E71C- 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.
Correctional Officer Champ gave the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office 1 year.
Thank you for your service to the Beaumont community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Correctional Officer Champ.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
Dudley James Champ served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Correctional Officer Dudley James Champ 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 Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, 2 of 6 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 33.3% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Dudley James Champ's cause is highlighted.
How Dudley James Champ Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Dudley James Champ is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
5 officers from Jefferson County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
