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Their Stories: NYPD Detective and ‘gentle giant’ Cedric Dixon was the force’s first known COVID-19 death

A family man who enjoyed fixing things, the police officer was known for being fair and respectful to everyone. Read More...

Cedric Dixon was an NYPD detective who co-workers described as a “gentle giant.” The Bronx native had a smile and friendly energy that was infectious to everyone around him. 

His time at the 32nd Precinct in Harlem was cut short on March 28, when he lost his battle to COVID-19. Dixon was only 48 years old. He was admitted into North Central Bronx Hospital on March 25 with flu-like symptoms. Dixon was the first known officer in the city’s police force to die from the disease. It is unclear whether he had any pre-existing conditions. 

Dixon was a 23-year veteran for the NYPD, and for several years he served in the school unit at the 40th Precinct in the South Bronx.

“He was always smiling, he was a really sweet guy,” said an officer at the 40th Precinct who asked not to be identified. 

A few years ago, Dixon was promoted to detective and was a member of New York’s Detectives’ Endowment Association (DEA), an organization that represents thousands of active and retired detectives in the city. 

Paul DiGiacomo, the president of New York’s DEA, said that co-workers described Dixon as someone who wanted to know how everything worked. He was like an unofficial handyman to his fellow officers.


“He was a family man and he truly enjoyed fixing things—computers, phones, even vacuum cleaners. He just loved to tinker around the office,” DiGiacomo said.

As a detective, Dixon had to interview perpetrators of various crimes, including shootings and murders. According to DiGiacomo, regardless of who Dixon was interviewing about a crime, he had garnered a reputation for being fair and speaking to everyone with respect while on the job.

“All people loved him, whether [they were] on the good side of the law or not. At the end of the day, they wound up having a bond with him,” DiGiacomo explained. 

Dixon was laid to rest by his loved ones on April 5. His death was one of three COVID-19 related deaths of NYPD officers in a matter of days this past March. 

He is survived by his partner Kyra Stevens, his six siblings, and his two daughters Carys and Cree. 

Read more stories of the lives lost to COVID-19

The DEA is working to ensure that his death is commemorated as “in the line of duty” since Dixon was one of the many first responders that are increasingly exposing themselves to COVID-19 to serve the communities they work in. 

“He represented the slogan of the DEA, which is ‘the greatest detectives in the world,’” DiGiacomo said.

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