Roll of Honor
Incident
Detective Chris Widner died from complications of contracting COVID-19 while performing his duties as an investigator.
Detective Widner served with the Paris Police Department for 11 years.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Detective Manuel Christopher Widner died on August 22, 2021 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 47.
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 and son.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-TX-F760F58E- 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.
Detective Widner gave the Paris Police Department 11 years.
Thank you for your service to the Paris community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Detective Widner.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Detective Manuel Christopher Widner 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 Paris Police Department, 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. Manuel Christopher Widner's cause is highlighted.
How Manuel Christopher Widner Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Manuel Christopher Widner is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
4 officers from Paris Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
