BEAUMONT, Texas — A former Jefferson County corrections officer who died early during the COVID-19 pandemic was honored recently at the Texas Peace Officer's Memorial in Austin.
Dudley Champ, 58, who died due to COVID-19 on August 10, 2020, was honored during a ceremony in Austin on April 28, 2024. Champ died after spending several weeks in the hospital, according to file stories.
(EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video first aired in August 2020.)
He was honored along with other fallen Texas law enforcement officers during the ceremony and his name was inscribed on line nine of panel C19 according to a Facebook post from the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
If you visit the memorial you can find Champ's name on panel C19 on the east side of the interior ring of the memorial's north wall.
Champ had been a corrections officer with the sheriff's office for just over a year but "his dedication and service will always be remembered," according to the facebook post.
He worked at several jobs throughout his life, including being in the U.S. Navy, working at the Beaumont Fire Department, the Lafayette Fire Department, Motiva and as a substitute teacher for the Port Arthur ISD, according to the Facebook post.
His many leadership roles made him an "outstanding corrections officer and mentor," the post said.
He also volunteered at his church and in the community the post said.
Champ's wife was escorted to the induction at the memorial in Austin by Capt. Ewing of the Jefferson County SHeriff's Office.
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This is a developing story. We will update with more if and when we receive more confirmed information.