Assistant Chief Gail S. Green-Gilliam, Phenix City Police Department, Alabama

Assistant Chief Gail S. Green-Gilliam

Phenix City Police Department, Alabama

End of Watch Wednesday, June 24, 2020

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Gail S. Green-Gilliam

Assistant Chief Gail Green-Gilliam died after contracting COVID-19 as the result of a presumed exposure during an outbreak within the Phenix City Police Department.

She was taken to a hospital in Columbus, Georgia, where she remained on a ventilator for several weeks.

Assistant Chief Green-Gilliam had served with the Phenix City Police Department for 33 years. She is survived by her husband, son, two daughters, grandchildren, and siblings. Assistant Chief Green-Gilliam had also been the foster parent for special needs children and adults.

The Effects of COVID on Law Enforcement

Beginning in early 2020, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the country began to contract COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Due to the nature of their job, law enforcement officers were required to work and interact with the community even as the majority of the country was self-quarantined. As a result, hundreds of officers died from COVID-related illnesses and other complications.

Corrections agencies, in particular, suffered tremendous losses due to the constant and close proximity between the corrections officers and large inmate populations. Since March 2020, ODMP has verified that over 900 law enforcement officers have died as the result of a confirmed or presumed exposure while on duty and continues to work with hundreds of other agencies that have suffered a COVID-related death.

Visit ODMP's COVID-19 memorial listing every officer who has died as a result of a confirmed or presumed exposure.