Seminole County jail Sergeant passes from COVID-19, sheriff says

SEMINOLE COUNTY, Fla. — The Seminole County Sheriff’s office is mourning the loss of one of its own, Saturday.

According to the sheriff’s office, Department of Corrections Sergeant James LaRue passed away Saturday morning from complications of COVID-19.

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“Sgt. LaRue was a beloved member of the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office and served a majority of his career working the B-Pod,” said Sheriff Dennis Lemma. “He was loved by his colleagues, and he was also very popular among JEPCF inmates, working closely with those inmates suffering from mental health issues.”

Sergeant LaRue started his career with the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office in 1999 as a Detention Deputy Trainee and was promoted to Sergeant in 2010.

Sergeant LaRue also served his country in the United States Marine Corps and was honorably discharged in 1996.

The sheriff’s office said it does not believe that Sergeant LaRue contracted COVID-19 while working at the John E. Polk Correctional Facility, however, the Seminole County Sheriff’s Office will treat his passing as a Line of Duty Death, consistent with the provisions in the Safeguarding America’s First Responders Act of 2020 (S. 3067).

Cox Media Group