Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer John Mestas died as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Sneed was Officer Mestas' field training officer when they both contracted COVID-19.
Officer Mestas was a veteran of both the United States Army and the United States Air Force Reserves. He had served with the Double Oaks Police Department for three months and 15 years with the Hillsboro Police Department, Johnson County Sheriff's Office, Tarrant County Hospital District Police Department, and Somervell County Sheriff's Office.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer John Mestas died on February 7, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 45.
He is one of 884 officers honored here, and one of 2 at Double Oak 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
He is survived by his wife and four children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-B747B8A4- 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.
Police Officer Mestas gave the Double Oak Police Department 15 years.
Thank you for your service to the Double Oak community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Mestas.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Military Service
John Mestas served in the United States military before joining law enforcement. Full service record available on salute.nw.
Police Officer John Mestas 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 Double Oak Police Department, 2 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 100% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. John Mestas's cause is highlighted.
How John Mestas Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. John Mestas is highlighted in Feb.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Double Oak Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
