‘Sick and alone.’ Police officer dies after long COVID battle, Missouri officials say

A Missouri police officer died of COVID-19 after his family had grieved he was “sick and alone” on Christmas Eve.

Lebanon police officer Kendle Blackburn died Monday after a long fight against the coronavirus, officials say. He served in the southwest Missouri city for 16 years.

Blackburn’s wife, Debbie, posted about her husband’s illness on Facebook, sharing in late November that he was in an intensive-care unit “fighting for his life.” His condition improved initially, but Blackburn was put on a ventilator and later flown to another hospital for treatment, she said.

He was unable to return home for the holidays.

“I am so sorry that you are so sick and alone in the hospital,” Blackburn’s wife posted on Facebook on Christmas Eve. “Wish you could have been here with me to enjoy watching the kids and grandkids open their presents tonight. Nothing is the same without you.”

Four days later, he died after spending more than a month hospitalized.

“We are extremely saddened by the loss of Officer Blackburn,” Lebanon Mayor Jared Carr said in a statement. “Kendle was a fantastic police officer and defined what it means to be a public servant. Kendle served every day with the sole purpose of giving back the city that he loved.”

The police department remembered Blackburn as a “great example of community policing.” In fact, just 10 days before his wife announced he was in ICU, Blackburn was commended for his “high standard of service” by a local business.

“Today our department is mourning the loss of Officer Kendle Blackburn after he fought a tough battle with COVID-19,” officials said. “Kendle was known throughout our city as the friendliest police officer anyone could ever meet.”

This story was originally published December 28, 2020 at 3:29 PM with the headline "‘Sick and alone.’ Police officer dies after long COVID battle, Missouri officials say."