The Houston law enforcement community gathered at a sheriff's office substation in Humble to pray for Sgt. Raymond Scholwinski. You can watch the vigil in the video above.
Scholwinski is in critical condition at a local hospital after testing positive for coronavirus.
Scholwinski is just one of at least 27 people in the Harris County Sheriff's Office sickened by COVID-19, according to Sheriff Ed Gonzalez.
They are coming in fast now. Three more positives in the past two hours. 27 total now. #HouNews #lesm
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 7, 2020
Just the day before, the sheriff tweeted out news of the county changing policy to ensure sheriff's office personnel will not be required to utilize their own sick time during quarantine due to the coronavirus.
Gonzalez also urge the county to consider a county first-responder's death due to the virus to be a "line of duty" related death.
Appreciate Commissioner @AdrianGarciaHTX looking out for the safety of County first responders and starting dialogue about considering #COVID19 to be a presumptive disease. #HouNews #lesm
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 7, 2020
Grateful to see Commissioner’s Court modify county policy to make sure that our @HCSOTexas personnel do not need to utilize their own sick time during quarantine due to a positive #COVID19 test. I also took an opportunity in addressing Commissioner’s Court to advocate for a
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 7, 2020
change to employee benefits; the death of any County first responder due to contracting #COVID19 be considered as a line-of-duty related death. I hope they seriously consider this change. #HouNews #lesm
— Ed Gonzalez (@SheriffEd_HCSO) April 7, 2020
INTERACTIVE: TEXAS CORONAVIRUS CASES BY THE NUMBERS