Caseguard Blog In Memory of Sergeant Charles Norton

  Georgia Officer Dies from Coronavirus On Sunday, September 20, 2020, Sergeant Charles Norton of the Richmond County Sheriff's Office died from contracting COVID19 while on the job. Sgt. Norton was a veteran officer with 22 years of experience and was 62 years of age. It is presumed that he contracted the virus through his duties as an officer. Sgt. Norton fell ill and was being treated at the Eisenhower Army Medical Center, where he eventually succumbed to the virus's effects. Norton is the first officer in the area to die from the virus and the first for this law enforcement agency. Sgt. William McCarty, a friend, and coworker of Sgt. Norton said the following in a brief statement. "Norton had been out for a couple of weeks after testing positive for the virus. He will be truly missed."   Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Sergeant Charles Norton dedicated 22 years of his life to the Richmond County Sheriff's Office in Georgia. He was a family man and a community leader. Norton worked to serve his community to provide a place of safety and prosperity, where everyone had an opportunity to thrive. He began his career with the RCSO in 1998, and his most recent assignment was that of Sergeant of Field Operations Division. The Richmond County Sheriff's Office requires that their officers wear a mask when in public. On Friday, September 18, 2020, the department has had 64 employees test positive for COVID19. As of now, 58 of these cases have been since cleared, and these staff members and officers have returned to their duties. The number of COVID19 related deaths among law enforcement officers have been increasing. It is already the leading cause of death among law enforcement this year. The National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, or NLEOMF, which tracks and studies the causes of fatalities among law enforcement, has come forward to announce that they expect that the number of COVID19 line-of-duty deaths among officers in 2020 could surpass the total number of officers lost on September 11, 2001, which was 72.   Senior Officer and Family Man The community is sad to lose a senior officer who had given to them so much of his life. He leaves behind his wife, children, and grandchildren. He was a family man, a community leader, and a local hero. Coworkers, neighbors, friends, and extended family will mourn Sgt. Charles Norton and stand tall beside the family in their grief. The Richmond County Sheriff’s Office provided the following statement on the passing of Sgt. Norton. “On behalf of Sheriff Roundtree and the entire Sheriff's Office, we offer our prayers and condolences to the family of Sgt. Norton.  Sgt. Norton was a devout Christian, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who loved life and never met a stranger. He will be truly missed. We want to remind all of our employees and the public to continue to wash your hands, wear a mask, and practice social distancing to help prevent the spread of this virus, which has taken the life of one of our own.” A comment posted on behalf of Sheriff Roundtree on social media stated his condolences to the family. "On behalf of Sheriff Roundtree and the entire sheriff's office, we offer our prayers and condolences to the family of Sgt. Norton. Sgt. Norton was a devout Christian, a dedicated husband, father, and grandfather who loved life and never met a stranger. He will be truly missed."