HARRIS COUNTY, Texas — The Harris County Sheriff's Office is mourning the death of one of their young deputies who died Thursday from COVID-19 complications.
Deputy Alexander Gwosdz, 32, was a 9-year veteran with HCSO.
“We are devastated and saddened by another loss of life and reminded again of the dangers of this terrible virus,” said Sheriff Ed Gonzalez. “Deputy Gwosdz loved his job. He had a servant’s heart. He came from a law enforcement family; his father is a retired Sheriff’s Office deputy and our brother in blue. His whole life was ahead of him.”
Gwosdz joined the agency in 2012 as a detention officer for the Harris County Jail. He then graduated from the Sheriff’s Office Basic Peace Officer Course in 2014 and served as a patrol deputy in northwest Harris County.
Gwosdz's body was taken from HCA Houston Healthcare to a funeral home in Tomball Thursday morning. HCSO released photos of dozens of deputies lined up outside of the healthcare facility to pay tribute to the fallen deputy.
Deputy Gwosdz is the fourth Sheriff's Office deputy, and the fifth employee agency-wide, to die after contracting COVID-19. The others are:
- Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski, 70, died on May 6, 2020
- Deputy Juan Menchaca, 70, died June 13, 2020
- Deputy Johnny Tunches, 56, died on Nov. 2, 2020
- Detention Officer Robert Perez, 54, died on February 2, 2021
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