Roll of Honor
Incident
Deputy Sheriff Rick Treadwell died as the result of contracting COVID-19 in a presumed exposure while on duty.
Deputy Treadwell had served with the Dane County Sheriff's Office for 25 years and was assigned to the Dane County Law Enforcement Training Center.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Deputy Sheriff Richard Charles Treadwell died on August 22, 2020 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 61.
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 three children.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-WI-FE298559- 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.
Deputy Sheriff Treadwell gave the Dane County Sheriff's Office 25 years.
Thank you for your service to the Madison community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Deputy Sheriff Treadwell.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Deputy Sheriff Richard Charles Treadwell 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 WI, 7 of 317 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 2.2% of this state's fallen. That is 6.9 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Dane County Sheriff's Office, 1 of 3 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. Richard Charles Treadwell's cause is highlighted.
How Richard Charles Treadwell Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Richard Charles Treadwell is highlighted in Aug.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
2 officers from Dane County Sheriff's Office are honored on badge.nw.
