A California sheriff has died from COVID-19, as police departments across the country face the prospect of being crippled by coronavirus. ...
A California sheriff has died from COVID-19, as police departments across the country face the prospect of being crippled by coronavirus.
Terrell Young, 54, from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department south of Los Angeles, passed away Thursday after allegedly contracting the highly contagious virus from a local prisoner two weeks ago.
The department has a further 25 employees who have tested positive to COVID-19, including one who is in a critical condition in hospital.
Law enforcement agencies across the country are grappling with how to protect the health of their employees while simultaneously trying to serve their communities.
On Thursday, police departments in llinois and North Carolina also reported officers had died from COVID-19 Thursday.
On the same day, the NYPD revealed that coronavirus cases continued to surge among their staff, with more than 1,500 now testing positive to the disease.
Nearly one in five officers called out sick Thursday, reporting that they were suffering from flu-like symptoms.
Across America, more than 244,000 people have been sickened by COVID-19, and more than 6,200 have died.
Terrell Young, 54, from the Riverside County Sheriff's Department south of Los Angeles, passed away Thursday after contracting the highly contagious inside a local prison two weeks ago
On Thursday, the NYPD revealed that coronavirus cases continued to surge among their employees, with more than 1,500 now testing positive to the disease. An NYPD officer is pictured on duty Wednesday
ONE DEATH AND 25 CASES: CORONAVIRUS CRIPPLES CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT
Riverside County Deputy Terrell Young, 54, died Thursday, two weeks after the department believes he was exposed to COVID-19 by an inmate at a local prison.
On March 16, Young transported a prisoner from the Byrd Detention Center to a local hospital, before he came down with a high fever six days later.
Riverside County Deputy Terrell Young, 54, died Thursday, two weeks after the department believes he was exposed to COVID-19 by an inmate at a local prison
The inmate later became symptomatic himself.
25 officers from the department have now tested positive to coronavirus, including 22 who were assigned to the Byrd Detention Center.
60 inmates at the facility have now been quarantined, according to The Press Enterprise.
One colleague of Young's told the publication that the Riverside Police Department is struggling with the death and the influx of other coronavirus cases.
'There are a lot of emotions in the department. There's a lot of uncertainty, there is a lot of anxiety, there is a lot of anger, there's a lot of fear, and combine that with losing your friend,' they stated.
'This is a lot different than any other duty death that we've experienced. When this normally happens, there is a huge outpouring of support from friends and coworkers and extended family. And the unfortunate part of this is all of that is out the window,' they continued.
Young was a 15-year veteran of the Riverside County Police Department, and leaves behind his wife of 31 years and their four children.
NYPD CASES CONTINUE TO SOAR AMID MORE DEATHS
The largest police department in the country continues to report skyrocketing cases of COVID-19 within its ranks.
On Thursday, the NYPD confirmed that 1,354 uniformed officers and 169 civilian members had tested positive to COVID-19.
On the same day, nearly one in five officers was out sick with flu like symptoms - up from 15% on Tuesday.
Several precincts across the city - including one in Harlem and another in The Bronx- have reported that more than a third of its force is sick.
Meanwhile, the department also reported its seventh coronavirus death Thursday.
NYPD Auxiliary Officer Lynford Chambers, who worked at the 113th precinct in Queens, died from complications related to COVID-19 earlier this week.
It has not been disclosed whether he had any preexisting conditions.
'The message to New Yorkers is we are scrambling, but that shouldn't have a negative connotation. We are able to handle many, many different tasks here. We're still fighting crime,' Commissioner Dermot Shea said Thursday.
On Wednesday, it was reported that the NYPD added '10 to 15 more phone lines to handle the volume of sick calls'.
New York Governor Andrew Cuomo said State Police will fill in for NYPD members and he will also draft police officers from other communities around the state to come and patrol and the city if the NYPD becomes too short-staffed.
Nearly one in five NYPD officers was out sick with flu like symptoms Thursday - up from 15% on Tuesday
NYPD Auxiliary Officer Lynford Chambers worked at the 113th precinct in Queens. His death was announced Thursday
MORE OFFICER DEATHS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Other police departments across the country also reported officer deaths Thursday, as coronavirus cases continue to soar throughout the US.
North Carolina deputy Sypraseuth 'Bud' Phouangphrachanh, 43, died of coronavirus complications Thursday.
The father-of-five worked as a deputy and school resource officer with the Montgomery County Police Department, east of Charlotte.
It is currently unclear whether Phouangphrachanh - who was a 14-year veteran with the force - contracted the virus while at work.
Montgomery County has reported six confirmed cases of COVID-19.
North Carolina deputy Sypraseuth 'Bud' Phouangphrachanh, 43, died of coronavirus complications Thursday
Meanwhile, the Chicago Police Department also reported its first COVID-19 death Thursday, with undercover officer Marco DiFranco succumbing to the virus
Meanwhile, the Chicago Police Department also reported its first COVID-19 death Thursday, with undercover officer Marco DiFranco succumbing to the virus.
The 50-year-old officer leaves behind his wife and two childre, aged seven and 10.
DiFranco had cystic fibrosis, a ore-existing condition that affects the lungs, but did not receive medical clearance to stop him from going to work.
During a press conference Thursday, one local union official stated that DiFranco's death is likely to be the first of many in the Chicago Police Department.
So far, more than 60 officers have tested positive to the virus.
'The fact that we were not prepared in any way, shape or form for this is kind of ridiculous,' the official stated, according to The Chicago-Tribune.
'Even if the officer did have pre-existing conditions, if we had proper masks, proper sanitizers, there could have been precautions taken much sooner for people with those conditions so they weren't so directly exposed to this stuff'.
A Chicago police officer is pictured on patrol last week. More than 60 officers in the department have tested positive to COVID-19
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