June 2020 Blues Issue Vol 36 No 6
June 2020 Blues Issue Vol 36 No 6
June 2020 Blues Issue Vol 36 No 6
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Cops worry if virus kills<br />
them, families won’t get<br />
death benefits<br />
Members of the state’s largest<br />
police union are asking<br />
Gov. Greg Abbot to ensure<br />
officers who die of coronavirus<br />
complications will be<br />
eligible for line of duty death<br />
benefits<br />
Charly Wilkison, executive director of CLEAT,, said his group has received dozens<br />
of letters asking lawmakers to write or sign letters pressing the governor to do<br />
more to ensure officers who die from COVID19 get line of duty death benefits<br />
duty while performing a law enforcement<br />
function such as a foot<br />
pursuit, many departments deemed<br />
it a work-related death. Under the<br />
new law, however, it is presumed<br />
that the heart attack was connected<br />
to an officer’s job, allowing the<br />
family to qualify for line of duty<br />
death benefits.<br />
When the pandemic reached Texas<br />
in March, Abbott’s office issued<br />
a statement saying that he had<br />
“waived certain statutory provisions<br />
to ensure public safety employees<br />
who contract COVID-19 during the<br />
course of their employment will be<br />
reimbursed for reasonable medical<br />
expenses related to their treatment<br />
of COVID-19.”<br />
“These brave men and women are<br />
on the front lines and risking potential<br />
exposure to keep our communities<br />
safe,” Abbott said.<br />
Since then, CLEAT and others have<br />
stressed to Abbott that they believe<br />
his order fell short.<br />
“We aren’t quite sure the governor<br />
has gone far enough, but we will<br />
certainly fight this fight when and<br />
if it comes,” said Kevin Lawrence,<br />
executive director of the Texas<br />
Timothy De La Fuente passed away<br />
April 30, <strong>2020</strong> and was possible the<br />
first law enforcement officer in the<br />
U.S. to die from COVID 19<br />
Municipal Police Association, which<br />
represents 29,000 first responders.<br />
Wilkison said he doesn’t know<br />
why Abbott has appeared resistant<br />
but wonders if he is concerned<br />
about increasing financial liability<br />
to the state.<br />
The issue is of particular concern<br />
because early in the pandemic,<br />
many law enforcement officers<br />
did not have access to adequate<br />
personal protective equipment,<br />
Wilkison said. Others were told by<br />
supervisors not to wear it because<br />
“it would scare people.”<br />
“If you are not going to be prepared<br />
for the pandemic — and you<br />
weren’t — and if you are not going<br />
to have proper equipment to protect<br />
your first responders — and<br />
you didn’t — then let’s at least be<br />
presumptive,” Wilkison said.<br />
He said his organization would<br />
not be so insistent had it not wrestled<br />
with the state over death benefit<br />
payments in years past.<br />
“Words and guarantees and<br />
promises are one thing, but the<br />
marriage license matters. And so, in<br />
this case, we want it on a piece of<br />
paper, Governor,” Wilkison said.<br />
Salazar said he considers De La<br />
Fuente’s death a loss in the line of<br />
duty and hopes the state will quickly<br />
process benefits to his family<br />
without resistance.<br />
“I’m going to assume, and I’m<br />
going to continue to assume, that<br />
he contracted this virus at work,” he<br />
said.<br />
Tony Plohetski<br />
Austin-American Statesman<br />
AUSTIN, Texas — Bexar County<br />
Sheriff Javier Salazar will always $500,000 in line-of-duty death The organization has gotten dozens<br />
remember the cheerful deputy who benefits for fallen officers.<br />
of lawmakers to write or sign letters<br />
went out of his way to greet him. “All first responders — they can’t pressing the governor to do so.<br />
Timothy De La Fuente had been stay home,” said Charley Wilkison, “I pray that no first responder will<br />
a sheriff’s employee for 27 years, executive director of the Combined die in Texas due to COVID-19, but<br />
working most recently at the county Law Enforcement Associations of if they do, they should receive full<br />
jail, the site of a COVID-19 outbreak Texas. “They can’t shelter in place. honors and benefits, as any other line<br />
in April.<br />
They have to go out.”<br />
of duty death,” Sen. Eddie Lucio Jr.,<br />
“If I would walk through, he Wilkison said based on information<br />
D-Brownsville, wrote to Abbott on<br />
would stop what he would be doing<br />
he has received, nine Texas law April 23.<br />
and run over to me and shake my enforcement officers have died in “An executive order will bring swift<br />
hand,” Salazar said. “Just a great the pandemic. De La Fuente was the clarification and provide our first responders<br />
guy.”<br />
only CLEAT member.<br />
with much-needed protec-<br />
On April 30, De La Fuente became John Wittman, an Abbott spokesman,<br />
tion in the event they are diagnosed<br />
what is thought to be one of the<br />
said, “A police officer who with COVID-19,” Rep. Drew Darby,<br />
first law enforcement officers to die contracts COVID-19 on the job R-San Angelo, also wrote April 23.<br />
of the virus in Texas. Given his long would be eligible for $500,000 in “It is critical that we ensure our first<br />
hours and the dozens of inmates death benefits.”<br />
responders are covered in regard to<br />
diagnosed with the virus, Salazar But CLEAT and other law enforcement<br />
line of duty deaths.”<br />
and other supervisors are certain De<br />
officials say they have been Wilkison said CLEAT will take the<br />
La Fuente contracted COVID-19 on asking since the outbreak for Abbott issue to lawmakers in the spring Legislative<br />
the job.<br />
to sign an order that would make<br />
session if necessary.<br />
<strong>No</strong>w they have joined the state’s clearer that if an officer becomes ill Last year, the organization persuaded<br />
largest police union and others in with the virus, it is “presumed” he<br />
lawmakers to pass a law<br />
a concern that Gov. Greg Abbott or she got it at work unless other that extends line of duty benefits to<br />
hasn’t done enough to ensure that information exists, such as international<br />
officers who suffer heart attacks.<br />
De La Fuente’s family will receive<br />
travel.<br />
In the past, if an officer died on<br />
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