Harris County Constable deputy dies after lengthy battle with COVID-19

HARRIS COUNTY - Harris County Constable Precinct 5 is mourning the loss of Deputy Mark Brown. The 53-year-old died on Saturday after a lengthy battle with COVID-19. According to Brown’s wife, Michelle, Mark had been healthy prior to getting sick with the Coronavirus.

“You never think it’s going to happen to you,” said Michelle. “Here I am a widow and my children are fatherless.”

Michelle and Mark were married 22 years and have four children. Michelle says they all got sick with COVID-19 in May. Although they had been taking necessary precautions to avoid the Coronavirus, Michelle believes Mark brought the virus home from serving as a first-responder. While all 6 of them were sick, Mark’s symptoms were the most severe.

“Within an hour of being in the ER, I was asked to call the emergency room,” said Michelle. “They said at that point, his kidneys were failing and his lungs were in horrible shape.”

The 53-year-old worked in law enforcement more than 20 years, joining the Constable Precinct 5 office in 2017.

“Mark Brown represented the very best of Precinct 5,” said Precinct 5 Constable Ted Heap. “Whether he was on patrol or investigating an unsolved case, he was a dedicated and hard-working deputy who sought only to protect our residents and see that justice was served.”

Brown is the most recent local first responder to fall victim of COVID-19. Last week, Houston firefighter Leroy Lucio died from the virus, while 2 Harris County deputies also passed away earlier this summer.

“[Mark] was a proud law enforcement officer,” said Michelle. “He was proud to wear that uniform and he wanted to do right. When it was time for him to go to work, I’d always say come home to me Brown. He’d look at me at me and smile and say always. I’m so grateful I was able to bring him home for the last 24 hours of his life.”

After roughly 2 months in a hospital, Brown died at home Saturday leaving behind Michelle and their family.

“Our 4 children have to live without him,” said Michelle. “His mom, who that was her only child, has to live without him. And I have to live without him. It’s just, I don’t know how I’m going to do it every day without him here.”

Funeral arraignments haven’t been publicly announced yet.
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