Roll of Honor
Incident
Sergeant James Dement died from complications as a result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Sergeant Dement had served with the Friendswood Police Department for 22 years.
Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.
Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Sergeant James Earl Dement, Jr. died on December 27, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 57.
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.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-CB5E8120- 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 Dement gave the Friendswood Police Department 22 years.
Thank you for your service to the Friendswood community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Sergeant Dement.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Sergeant James Earl Dement, Jr. 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%.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. James Earl Dement, Jr.'s cause is highlighted.
How James Earl Dement, Jr. Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. James Earl Dement, Jr. is highlighted in Dec.