SANTA ROSA, CA – Every death is saddening, regardless of the cause. But it is even more saddening when it is a member of our law enforcement community. It is infuriating when we discover that it may have been avoidable.
A police detective from Santa Rosa, California has died after contracting the virus that has the world turned upside down.
“It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a member of our SRPD family, Detective Marylou Armer. Marylou has faithfully served our community in the Santa Rosa Police Department for the past 20 years,” the department said on Twitter.
“Marylou was one of the first employees to test positive for COVID-19 and today succumbed to complications from the illness,” the tweet continued. “Our hearts are with the family and Marylou will be deeply missed.”
Their profile picture is that of the Santa Rosa police department badge with a black ribbon. The banner at the top of their page is a banner announcing Armer’s End Of Watch.
It is with great sadness that we announce the passing of a member of our SRPD family, Detective Marylou Armer. Marylou has faithfully served our community, in the Santa Rosa Police Department for the past 20 years. (1/2) pic.twitter.com/FEc077nUcO
— Santa Rosa Police (@SantaRosaPolice) March 31, 2020
According to the New York Post, Armer, who died on March 31st, had requested to be tested twice, but was denied by doctors both times, telling her that she was “not considered a candidate for a test because of her age and lack of underlying conditions.”
She was too young and too healthy.
Never mind the fact that as a detective, she was in contact with more people than the average person. This made her, and other emergency responders like her, more susceptible to contracting the virus.
While elderly people and those with underlying health problems are at a greater risk, this disease does not discriminate against any based on how old they are.
The Post, quoting the Santa Rosa Press Democrat, reported:
“Her older sister, Mari Lau, said Armer had gone twice to Kaiser Permanente’s Vallejo Medical Center with a fever, body aches and shortness of breath. Ultimately, she wasn’t tested until she went to the emergency room, where she was intubated and placed in a medically induced coma, the outlet reported.
‘It was too late already,’ Lau said, adding that her sister’s inability to get tested was ‘very frustrating.’”
Kaiser confirmed in a statement that Armer wasn’t immediately tested, the Press Democrat reported.
Dr. David Witt, Kaiser’s national infectious disease expert, said doctors had adhered to ‘public health authority testing guidelines, which have been based on a very limited availability of tests.’
‘We offer heartfelt sympathies to Detective Armer’s family and loved ones at this profoundly difficult time,’ Witt said.”
You would think that the very people whose jobs are deemed essential and require them to face greater exposure would have access to the tests.
On April 3rd, in an effort to show tribute for a fallen officer, a procession of emergency responder vehicles escorted Armer to her home town in Napa Valley.
Sadly, we have lost too many officers to COVID-19 related symptoms. According the the Fraternal Order of Police, we have lost 54 officers to this disease.
The first law enforcement officer from the NYPD has passed away due to COVID-19, according to reports.
NYPD Detective Cedric Dixon was just 48 years old when he passed away from the virus that has swept up the country the past few months. A 23-year veteran of the force, Detective Dixon worked at the 32nd Precinct in Harlem.
This morning the NYPD lost its third member in less than 48 hours to COVID-19. Thank you for everything that you have done for this department. My thoughts and prayers go out to their family, friends, and colleagues. Rest In Peace. pic.twitter.com/GD3yMfer9l
— Chief Rodney Harrison (@NYPDDetectives) March 28, 2020
After over two decades serving his community, he’d passed away on March 27th while in the care of the North Central Bronx Hospital. Sources stated Detective Dixon also suffered from complications associated with asthma and diabetes, which is something that the CDC has warned can be severely affected by COVID-19.
FIRST OFFICER TO DIE FROM CORONAVIRUS: The #NYPD saluted 48 year old Detective Cedric Dixon at North Central Bronx Hospital where he passed away. “We are hurting, we are crying and we continue to fight,” Police Commissioner @NYPDShea said. Dixon had 23 years on the force pic.twitter.com/Ww7hm5KUO7
— Anthony Carlo (@AC_TV12) March 28, 2020
NYPD Commissioner Dermot Shea stated the following about the department’s recent loss:
“I can tell you that I’ve spoken to many of his friends and coworkers since this morning, and he was known as the person that would do anything to help you.
If you had something broken, he was particularly fond of fixing technology and electronics. He’s going to be so sorely missed.”
The passing of Detective Dixon marks the third loss for the NYPD overall from COVID-19, as an administrative aide along with a 62-year-old member of the janitorial staff both passed on March 26th.
Commissioner Shea noted the loss of now their third among the NYPD unit:
“We have lost three members of our family in a little over 48 hours. As I stand here, I cannot begin to describe what we are feeling, what the families of these three heroes are feeling.”
Commissioner Shea also said:
“We are hurting, we are crying and we continue to fight.”
The NYPD has been hit particularly hard. Currently, there approximately 570 members within the ranks that have tested positive for COVID-19. That number is also compounded by the over 11% of the workforce that has called out sick, which as of right now is about 4,220 officers.
We at Law Enforcement Today will keep Detective Dixon, and his family and loved ones, and the entire New York Police Department in our prayers.
Law enforcement is unfortunately started to become adversely affected by COVID-19, especially big cities like New York and Detroit, Michigan.
Just this morning Law Enforcement Today reported on another loss suffered by the Detroit Police Department.
The city of Detroit has been taking one hit after another with regard to police and COVID-19. In one of the latest updates, Law Enforcement Today has learned that Police Chief James Craig has become infected with the virus.
Detroit’s police chief James Craig tests positive for coronavirus. Detroit is the biggest black city in America and most of the known cases of COVID-19 out of Detroit are of African Americans. https://t.co/5POxWz7xWR
— T Ray-Ray (@Russian_Starr) March 27, 2020
The announcement was revealed by mayor Mike Duggan on March 27th, with the mayor noting that Chief Craig will be absent from all meetings until he’s recovered from the ailment.
Mayor Duggan expressed optimism with regard to the chief’s recovery:
“He is very fit. He is very much in charge of running this department.”
From what the mayor noted, Chief Craig is only experiencing mild symptoms from COVID-19, but the police department has still unveiled 39 positive cases internally with over 400 of their staff self-quarantined.
The reasoning behind the large numbers of those quarantined versus identified cases stems from the department being more proactive regarding possible exposure. According to Mayor Duggan, the department cannot risk widespread infection:
“If you have had primary contact with someone who tests positive, we send you home for 14 days. We’re not taking any chances.”
In the latest blow to the Detroit Police Department, already reeling with nearly 500 officers quarantined, Chief James Craig announced Friday he tested positive for COVID-19 after feeling “feverish.”https://t.co/TcakqpXr7v
— The Detroit News (@detroitnews) March 28, 2020
These concerns have resulted in unique changes to internal practices. One of which is that all officers reporting for duty must have their temperature taken at the onset of their shift. If anyone has a temperature above 100 degrees, they’ll be sent home immediately.
Assistant Chief James White is handling the department in Chief Craig’s absence. He too sides with the mayor’s optimism on the chief being able to come back to the department fully recovered:
“The chief is very fit focused on nutrition and exercise and we’re hopeful that that’ll assist in carrying him through this problem.”
We at Law Enforcement Today hope Chief Craig has a full and speedy recovery, as the police department and law enforcement personnel within the city simply cannot handle increasing interruption to their workforce.
As mentioned, Detroit has been encountering difficult times during the pandemic.
A longtime member of the Wayne County Sheriff’s Office passed away on March 25th due to complications stemming from COVID-19.
After nearly 30 years of service to the sheriff’s office, Commander Donafay Collins had died after reportedly spending weeks in the hospital after a diagnosis of COVID-19 in conjunction with “underlying medical issues.”
Please keep the Wayne County Sheriff Office, Michigan (Detroit) in your thought and prayers. Commander Donafay Collins, 63 was with the Sheriff’s Office almost 30 years. He has passed away due to #COVID_19. #officerdown #neverforgetthefallen #EOW #waynecounty #detroit #michigan pic.twitter.com/gTlXHtHJx0
— Oakboro Police Dept. (@Oakboropolicenc) March 26, 2020
The 63-year-old accomplished commander had worked within Division 2 inside the downtown jail, which is noted as being the facility housing some of the most notorious inmates.
Sheriff Benny Napoleon revealed the saddening news about the department’s loss:
“It was like someone put an anvil around my neck and just dropped it; and I’ve been feeling very heavy since all of this transpired because I know that this is not the last of it.”
To date, 18 individuals from the sheriff’s office have tested positive for COVID-19. It’s a worry for the department and Sheriff Napoleon, as they’re lacking in needed PPE to halt the spread internally:
“We don’t have any of that stuff, yet people still come to work. They still do their job. Nobody’s shying away from their responsibilities to the citizens of this community.”
Sheriff Napoleon described Commander Collins as not only a vital asset to the department, but also a mentor. Commander Collins had also recently obtained his master’s degree from the University of Michigan before he passed away.
According to the sheriff, Commander Collins was poised to continue moving up in the ranks within the sheriff’s office. Yet, now he’s trying to determine how a proper funeral service can be attended in light of the ever-present dangers of COVID-19 and large gatherings:
“It’s going to be a great loss for this agency — and for the whole community.”
The illness that robbed the department and community of Commander Collins is an unseen enemy, according to Sheriff Napoleon. He said it’s not like trying to track down a suspected burglar or other criminal.
Up until 2019, Commander Collins also used his spare time away from the sheriff’s office to moonlight as a radio DJ on Mix 92.3 FM. The sheriff’s office noted that endeavor of his on his online bio:
“When he’s off-duty he’s displaying his vocal abilities as an emcee for various events, including the hugely popular Friday night “Back Jam Show” broadcast live from Lucky’s Restaurant in Southfield.”
The fallen commander is survived by his four children and his wife. We at Law Enforcement Today share our utmost condolences for his family and loved ones.
Detroit has been getting hit particularly hard with regard to COVID-19 affecting the law enforcement community.
In a period of just two days, the Detroit Police Department has lost two of their own.
After the news of one of their 911 dispatchers having passed earlier this week due to COVID-19, Captain Jonathan “Recon” Parnell has also passed away from the same.
A colleague of the fallen officer stated:
“He was a great guy, very tactical, very smart, he was a street cop, a real street cop, very polite, very humble.”
Captain Parnell was noted as having headed the major crimes unit within the department.
Prior to being in major crimes, he also spent time in the homicide, sex crimes, narcotics, and child abuse units within the DPD.
A spokesman for the department, Dan Donakowski, was at first tight-lipped on the death and would not disclose the name of the department member, although he did admit that on March 25th a ranking officer had passed away due to COVID-19.
As of March 24th, the city of Detroit has 11 confirmed deaths due to COVID-19 with approximately 574 confirmed cases.
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