Early Saturday night, the Los Angeles Police Department announced via Twitter that, on Friday, Senior Detention Officer Erica McAdoo became the first member of the Los Angeles Police Department to have died from complications of COVID-19.
LAPD officials have not confirmed thus far whether or not Officer McAdoo acquired the virus on the job.
Another 287 LAPD employees are now quarantined at home after having been exposed to the novel coronavirus, according to the department’s tweet.
On Facebook, Jerome Hall, of the Fort Worth Black Law Enforcement Officers Association, wrote that Erica McAddo’s mother, Donna Royston, reported that even though her daughter had been “cured” of the COVID-19 virus, yet “she remained ill for months,” with damage to heart and kidneys.
WLA has not yet been able to confirm the above statement, but the matter of serious post-COVID organ damage, specifically, to the lungs, heart, and/or kidneys, has been recently reported with greater frequency, as in this July 4, story by Ed Yong in the Atlantic.
Also, on May 20, more than 40 days before she died, LAPD CSD posted on Instagram that, Officer McAdoo, from Metropolitan Jail Section, “is fighting for her life with Covid-19,” suggesting that the fight was a long and hard one.
WLA is thinking of Officer McAdoo’s family, and her LAPD brothers and sisters.
Photo from Instagram LAPD Custody Service Division
LASD sends condolences to LAPD for their loss. 🙁
Rest in Peace, Erica.
In the early stages of this pandemic Law Enforcement was not prioritized for testing when exposed or for PPE. Fire and Health care workers were. Thanks to the County Health Dept. The leadership of LE stepped up to try and protect their staff as best they could.
May she rest in peace. Condolences to her family and the many others that have lost people to this horrible virus.
Along with the other 50 in law enforcement that have died from this horrific disease…”50″…..R.I.P.
now will all the officers start wearing masks publicly and elsewhere to protect themselves and others?