Sun Sentinel Palm Beach Edition
18 state cops died in line of duty in 2020
Almost all from COVID-19
The number of police officers who died in the line of duty this year more than doubled from the year before, largely because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Thirteen of 18 officers who died in Florida were listed as COVID-19 victims, according to information from Attorney General Ashley Moody.
A police dog also died. K9 Chance from the Homestead Police Department died of a spine injury after tracking a burglary suspect.
Nine officers in South Florida died in the line of duty this year, all but one with COVID-19.
The COVID-19 casualties were:
■ Deputy Sheriff Shannon Bennett, Broward Sheriff’s Office, died April 3.
■ Sgt. Jose Diaz-Ayala, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, died April 4.
■ Officer Richard G. McCoy, Customs and Border Protection, Fort Lauderdale, died May 2.
■ Sgt. Corey Pendergrass, Lauderhill Police Department, died July 26.
■ Officer Jairo Antonio Bravo, Miami-Dade Department of Corrections, died July 30.
■ Lt. Aldemar Rengifo, Broward Sheriff ’s Office, died Aug. 16.
■ Deputy Sheriff Maurice Ford, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, died Aug. 27.
■ Deputy Sheriff Angela Chavers, Palm Beach Sheriff’s Office, died Sept. 12.
Miami police Officer Aubrey Travis Johnson Jr. died Oct. 1 of a pulmonary embolism from a duty-related injury.
Nationwide, 298 l aw enforcement officers and dogs died in the line of duty, more than double the 148 that died in 2019. Of those 298, 181 had COVID19 listed as their cause of death.
“As the wife of a law enforcement officer, the doubling of line-of-duty deaths is shocking and heartbreaking,” Moody said in a video statement posted Dec. 18. “While much of the world stayed home to stop the spread of COVID-19, law enforcement officers went to work without hesitation — risking their health and safety to protect the communities they love.”
Broward Deputy Bennett was the first officer to die of COVID-19 in Florida. He had gone to Chicago for the nation’s third-largest St. Patrick’s Day Parade. The parade was canceled as the coronavirus spread, but parties took place throughout the city.
Bennett returned home and died days later. The Medical Examiner’s office initially concluded that his death might be travel related, but he appears on the Officer Down Memorial Page, a nationwide database of law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty.
Broward Sheriff Gregory Tony said at the time that he considered Bennett’s death to be in the line of duty. “He was on duty when he reported it, so as far as I’m concerned this is an ‘in-the-line-of-duty’ death,” Tony said.
Federal law extends additional death benefits to officers who died of COVID-19. The law creates a temporary presumption that a officer contracted COVID-19 while on duty if diagnosed within 45 days of their last shift.
The families of Florida law enforcement officers killed in the line of duty also are entitled to financial benefits from the state.
Generally, the family of an officer who died of an accident, bodily injury while in pursuit or responding to an emergency is entitled to $75,000 in compensation. The family of an officer intentionally and unlawful ly killed while on duty by someone is entitled to $225,000, according to Florida law.