Ty Alan Powell, Police Officer

A Windsor Police Department officer died earlier this month after contracting COVID-19 while in the line of duty, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

According to a short bio from the Officer Down Memorial Page, Windsor Police Officer Ty Alan Powell was a veteran of the U.S. Marine Corps and had served with the Windsor Police Department for 19 years. His End of Watch was listed as Oct. 13.

Powell had earlier served with the Mesa County Sheriff’s Office and the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office for one year each.

He is survived by his wife and five children.

At least three other law enforcement officers in Colorado have died from complications of contracting COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic: El Paso County Sheriff Deputy Jeffery Christopher Hopkins and deputies James Herrera and Daniel “Duke” Trujillo, both who worked for the Denver Sheriff Department.

The Officer Down Memorial Page states COVID-19 has been the no. 1 killer of law enforcement officers across the country in 2020 and 2021.

“Getting vaccinated is just as important as wearing your vest and your seatbelt,” the website states. It encourages law enforcement officers to talk with their doctors about the COVID-19 vaccine “to see if vaccination is right for you.”

Since the start of the pandemic, 551 law enforcement officers in the U.S. have died after contracting the novel virus, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.