Unvaccinated cop dies of COVID-19 a day before his wedding

An unvaccinated Louisiana police officer died of COVID-19 just a day before his wedding, department officials said.

Baker’s police lieutenant Demarcus Dunn, 36, succumbed to the virus on August 13, the day before the father of three was scheduled to walk down the aisle with his fiancee Francine James, The Advocate reported.

The couple were due to tie up in July 2020, but the ceremony was postponed until August 14 due to the pandemic, Baker Police Chief and Dunn’s cousin Carl Dunn told ABC News.

“She’s lost without him,” the chef said of James.

Dunn – an Air Force veteran who was named Baker’s Officer of the Year in 2016 – tested positive in late July. He was not vaccinated despite the requirement to be vaccinated by the department, said Carl Dunn.

“It was disturbing to me that he didn’t have [the vaccine], and I didn’t know for sure he didn’t get it until it was all over, ”the chef told ABC News.

Lt. Dunn initially had difficulty breathing along with a headache and cough, but he “still seemed optimistic” – even earlier in the day on August 10, when he was put on a ventilator, said the chef.

“I know he was a fighter and a volunteer,” Dunn continued. “I kept telling myself he was going to be okay, and I kept assuring the family that I knew he was going to be okay.”

But Lieutenant Dunn, who spent his free time coaching youth football and basketball in the town of 12,000, was never unplugged from the fan.

“He was competitive in everything he did, but all he wanted to do was give back and show people a better way,” Chief Dunn told The Advocate. “No matter what hardships he went through. You were going to see him smile. You were going to see him take care of you.

A memorial service for Lt. Dunn was held on Friday. He was buried in Louisiana National Cemetery – and masks were required, department officials said. He is survived by three children aged 1, 5 and 13.

Dunn’s cousin, Trina Dunn-Lindsey, said they both lost their father at a young age, but then became something of a surrogate parent for many young people in the community, touching d ‘countless lives.

“This one hurts so bad,” Dunn-Lindsey said.

More than 12,000 people in Louisiana have died from COVID-19, and those who are not fully vaccinated represent 91% of patients currently hospitalized with the virus, according to data from the state’s Department of Health.

Only 40 percent of Louisiana residents statewide are fully immunized, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only Arkansas, West Virginia, Idaho, Wyoming, Mississippi, and Alabama have equal or lower rates. Vermont, meanwhile, leads the country at 67.5%, followed by Massachusetts at 65.4%.