Share
Three California law enforcement officers have now succumbed to COVID-19 following the death of two Southern California sheriff’s deputies on Thursday .
Deputy David Werksman and Deputy Terrell Young were both members of the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department. Young died Thursday morning. Werksman’s death was announced on Friday.
Santa Rosa police Detective Marylou Armer died Tuesday, making her the first police officer or deputy to succumb to the virus in the state. She worked in the domestic violence and sexual assault team and was a 20-year veteran of the department.
Hundreds of law enforcement personnel nationwide have tested positive for the virus.
For most people, the coronavirus causes mild or moderate symptoms, such as fever and cough. But for others, especially older adults and people with health problems, it can cause severe symptoms like pneumonia.
[covid-19-tracker]In New York City, Eight Members of the Police Department Have Died of the Disease
In New York City, eight members of the police department have died of the disease, including a detective, several school safety officers and support staff. To curb the spread, the NYPD is having thousands of officers and other employees work from home, a move Commissioner Dermot Shea called “unprecedented.” Police headquarters is virtually empty. Foot traffic into police stations is next to nothing.
In Riverside, it was not immediately clear if Werksman and Young had close contact.
Young, the first member of the department to test positive for the virus, was most recently a corrections officer at the Cois Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta. He is believed to have contracted the virus from an inmate he had escorted to the hospital.
Werksman had worked in the sheriff’s administration.