California officer dies after testing positive for COVID-19 and missing vaccine deadline

SAN FRANCISCO — A police officer who was placed on leave for missing the city of San Francisco’s deadline to be inoculated has died after being stricken by COVID-19, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.

Officer Jack Nyce, 46, tested positive on Nov. 2 and died Saturday at a hospital in Manteca, his wife, Melissa Nyce, told the newspaper Monday.

The Chronicle said Melissa Nyce declined to say whether her husband was vaccinated but the vice president of the San Francisco Police Officers Association, Lt. Tracy McCray, said Jack Nyce was on a 30-day stint of paid administrative leave because he had not received the vaccination required by the city.

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The death comes as mandates for government employee vaccinations are seeing some push-back.

The San Francisco Police Department said last week that as many as 70 sworn and civilian workers had been placed on leave for not meeting a Nov. 1 vaccination deadline. A press release said that as of Nov. 2, 97.5% of department employees were fully vaccinated.

Any officers who remain unvaccinated by Nov. 13 will be placed on unpaid administrative leave until the San Francisco Police Commission convenes a hearing.

Jack Nyce was a 17-year employee of the department.

“He loved being a cop,” his widow said.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: California police officer dies after missing COVID vaccine deadline