TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (WTXL) — COVID-19 is the leading cause of death for Florida law enforcement for 2021, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.
To date, 137 law enforcement officers in the U.S. have died from the coronavirus this year. In 2021, 27 Florida law enforcement officers have died, 18 from the coronavirus. Nine of those happened in August. One occurred in September, to date.
In Georgia, 17 law enforcement officers have died in 2021, 12 of those from COVID-19.
In late July, Leon County issued released a memo mandating COVID-19 vaccines for all county employees, with exceptions for employees who are "unable to be vaccinated due to an ADA-covered disability, a doctor certified diagnosed medical condition which prevents an employee from receiving a vaccination or 'a sincerely held religious belief.'"
The Leon County Sheriff's Office said at that time it would not require vaccinations for employees but was closing its admin building and jail lobbies to visitors and returning to telework where possible.
COVID-19 was also the leading cause of death for law enforcement in 2020, which saw 241 officers lost to the virus, 15 in Florida.
In March, Florida Attorney General Ashley Moody released a statement saying, "Many of the officers killed in 2020 were sadly lost at the hands of COVID-19. As Florida continues to prioritize vaccination distribution to law enforcement officers and first responders, the number of officers succumbing to the disease is falling. Unlike last year, COVID-19 is no longer the main culprit of claiming the lives of Florida law enforcement officers. So far, an overwhelming majority of the law enforcement officer deaths in 2021 are at the hands of violent attacks."
Florida law enforcement officers lost to COVID-19 in 2021:
Sergeant Daniel Eugene Watts
Jacksonville Beach Police Department, FL
EOW: Wednesday, September 1, 2021
Deputy First Class William Diaz
Lee County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Tuesday, August 31, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Clint Robin Seagle
Clay County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Sunday, August 29, 2021
Trooper Sean C. Hryc
Florida Highway Patrol, FL
EOW: Saturday, August 28, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Christopher Broadhead
Polk County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Monday, August 23, 2021
Sergeant Frank Tobar
Palm Bay Police Department, FL
EOW: Friday, August 20, 2021
Police Officer Edward Perez
Miami Beach Police Department, FL
EOW: Thursday, August 19, 2021
Sergeant Steven Mazzotta
Lee County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Monday, August 16, 2021
Police Officer Jennifer B. Sepot
Fort Lauderdale Police Department, FL
EOW: Saturday, August 14, 2021
Trooper Lazaro R. Febles
Florida Highway Patrol, FL
EOW: Saturday, August 14, 2021
Detective Jon Alexander Cooke
Hollywood Police Department, FL
EOW: Friday, July 2, 2021
Lieutenant Adam Dale Whisenant
Florida Division of Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco, FL
EOW: Tuesday, April 27, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Carlos Antonio Hernandez
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Sunday, April 11, 2021
Sergeant Shane Owens
Broward County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Saturday, March 27, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Jack Edward Gwynes
Nassau County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Wednesday, February 3, 2021
Correctional Officer Juan Llanes
Miami-Dade County Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, FL
EOW: Monday, February 1, 2021
Auxiliary Sergeant Louis M. Livatino
Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Wednesday, January 27, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Jacinto R. Navarro, Jr.
Palm Beach County Sheriff's Office, FL
EOW: Tuesday, January 19, 2021
Georgia law enforcement officers lost to COVID-19 in 2021:
Captain Joseph Manning
Wayne County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Wednesday, August 25, 2021
Lieutenant Dale Sylvester, Jr.
Port Wentworth Police Department, GA
EOW: Wednesday, August 11, 2021
Police Officer Clinton Adolphis Martin
Alpharetta Police Department, GA
EOW: Saturday, July 3, 2021
Sergeant Barry Edwin Henderson
Polk County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Tuesday, March 9, 2021
Sergeant Grace A. Bellamy
Georgia Department of Corrections, GA
EOW: Monday, February 1, 2021
Sergeant Jeffery Robert Smith
Berry College Police Department, GA
EOW: Friday, January 29, 2021
Captain Michael D'Angelo Garigan
Gordon County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Sunday, January 24, 2021
Special Agent Wayne Douglas Snyder
Georgia Department of Corrections, GA
EOW: Saturday, January 23, 2021
Police Officer Jerry Steven Hemphill
Lanier Technical College Police Department, GA
EOW: Saturday, January 16, 2021
Police Officer Arturo Villegas
Alamo Police Department, GA
EOW: Sunday, January 10, 2021
Sergeant David G. Crumpler
Henry County Police Department, GA
EOW: Thursday, January 7, 2021
Deputy Sheriff Nicholas Howell
Henry County Sheriff's Office, GA
EOW: Sunday, January 3, 2021
