Roll of Honor
Incident
Detention Officer Julio Martinez died as a result of contracting COVID-19 while serving at the Wayne McCollum Detention Center at 300 S. Jackson Street in Waxahachie.
Officer Martinez had served with the Ellis County Sheriff's Office for nine years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detention Officer Julio Cesar Martinez died on January 31, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 53.
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.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, four children, and two grandchildren.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-E0BDCB5D- 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.
Detention Officer Martinez gave the Ellis County Sheriff's Office 9 years.
Thank you for your service to the Waxahachie community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detention Officer Martinez.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detention Officer Julio Cesar Martinez 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 Ellis County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 5 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 20% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Julio Cesar Martinez's cause is highlighted.
How Julio Cesar Martinez Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Julio Cesar Martinez is highlighted in Jan.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Ellis County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
