Police officers from Long Island and New York City stood outside NYU Winthrop in Mineola Sunday for one final salute to Sgt. Joseph Spinosa, of the Sands Point Police Department, who died on Wednesday from COVID-19.

Nassau Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder says the sergeant lost his battle to COVID-19 at NYU Winthrop.

Officials across the Island say they're doing what they can to protect their officers on the front line of this pandemic.

"The stress of battling something you can't see, it's like going into a ring and throwing punches and you don't know what you're hitting," says Ryder.

Nassau County Executive Laura Curran says there have been more than 130 sworn police officers with confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

In Suffolk, police say more than 80 sworn members have tested positive for COVID-19.

"This is critically important that we protect our first responders and it's a reminder of the dangers taken by our first responders," says Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone.

Both Nassau and Suffolk officials say all officers have personal protective equipment which they sanitize.

Police say Sgt. Spinosa is the first officer to pass away from COVID-19 on Long Island.

 

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