The Houston Police Department is announcing the death of one of its officers from Covid.
53-year-old Officer John Wilbanks died Wednesday after a long struggle against the virus.
Wilbanks had worked for the police force since 1994, stationed in various parts of town. Willbanks is the second HPD officer to die in the line of duty from the virus.
Covid has become the number killer of police officers in America, more than traffic fatalities and shootings combined.
The nation's largest police union says since January of this year 724 officers have died, 171 of those in Texas.
photo: Getty Images