Officer Richard Rios

Officer Richard Rios

United States Department of Homeland Security - Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations, U.S. Government

End of Watch Wednesday, December 2, 2020

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Richard Rios

Officer Richard Rios died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty while assigned to the Ysleta Port of Entry in El Paso, Texas.

Officer Rios had served with the Customs and Border Protection - Office of Field Operations for 17 years. He is survived by his wife, two daughters, and mother.

The Effects of COVID on Law Enforcement

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.

Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.

Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.

Bio

Age 53
Tour 17 years
Badge Not available

Incident Details

Cause COVID19
Location Texas
Incident Date Not available

communicable disease, COVID-19

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I had a chance to visit with your daughter today. I was visiting the Peace Officers Memorial and she was there. We had a chance to speak for a few minutes and it was immediately obvious she loves her father. You would be proud of the woman she is. I explained to her that whenever she is in Austin she can always contact our department and that she will always have family here.

Ofc Chad Martinka
University of Texas at Austin police department

August 1, 2023