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In memoriam

In memoriam

Cara Zinski-Neace June 16, 2024

The memorial flame lit to remember officers killed in the line of duty multiplied and shimmered as it was passed from one candle to the next among those gathered May 13 for the 36th annual candlelight vigil held in Washington, D.C., during National Police Week.

Among those being honored was University of Dayton Public Safety Officer Anthony “Tony” Eugene Cloyd. Cloyd died Dec. 9, 2021, from COVID-19 at 59. Because Cloyd was an active officer when he contracted COVID, his death is considered to be in the line of duty. He is the first UD officer to die in the line of duty, and UD retired his badge, No. 315, after his death.

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Mourners gather to honor Officer Anthony "Tony" Eugene Cloyd

“Tony was a true representative of what it means to be a University of Dayton campus officer,” said UD Chief of Police Savalas Kidd. “He was a real part of the campus community and a true police professional with a tremendous servant’s heart.” 

Cloyd served the UD community for his entire 16-year career as a police officer, patrolling campus, the student neighborhoods and surrounding areas, and garnering awards for his work as a public servant.

Deborah Cloyd, Officer Cloyd’s widow, shared a story that demonstrated his servant’s heart and instinct to help people in need.

“He encountered a teen who’d just missed out on a food bank program,” Deborah Cloyd said. “So Tony took him to another place to get some help and gave the teen his business card, and told him to call if he needed a ride home, which he did.”

Cloyd’s name is now engraved on the walls of the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial in Washington, D.C, and the Ohio Peace Officers Memorial in London, Ohio, and it was read during the roll call honoring fallen officers at the Montgomery County Law Enforcement Memorial Association ceremony in downtown Dayton.

“Tony was more than a colleague — he was a friend and a teammate. He took care of everybody." 

UD Department of Public Safety Sgt. Bradley Swank worked with Cloyd for 16 years.

“Tony was more than a colleague — he was a friend and a teammate. He took care of everybody,” Swank said after the Dayton ceremony.

Photos couresty National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial

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