Florida police departments rocked by 29 COVID deaths as DeSantis bungles pandemic response

According to a report from AXIOS, Florida police departments are reeling with reports of multiple deaths from COVID-19 and a surge of infections taking law enforcement officers off of the streets.

Working off a report from FOX13 that states that twenty-nine law enforcement officers in Florida have died of COVID-19 so far, Axios notes that police departments throughout the state are being stretched thin in Florida which has been one of the hardest hit as Gov. Ron DeSantis (R-FL) battles local leaders over mask mandates.

Axios reports that Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd admitted that "... the majority of those hospitalized with COVID are unvaccinated," before issuing a statement where he explained, "Listen to the doctors, don't listen to the politicians; get your vaccine. ... If you didn't have motivation before to get the vaccination, I hope that Christopher's untimely death will give you the motivation," following the death of Polk County sheriff's deputy Christopher Broadhead, who died last Monday at the age of 32.

The report goes to point out that about 50 Polk County Sheriff's office staffers have reportedly tested positive for COVID -- with five in hospitals and one on a ventilator.

"Nearly 100 Sarasota County Sheriff's employees were out with COVID, deputies told the outlet last week," Axios is reporting before adding, "19 St. Petersburg police staff members were out sick as of Saturday, but the department said no one was hospitalized."

DeSantis is currently under fire from multiple directions over his handling of the Covid crisis with Politico reporting last week that his polls numbers are plummeting and his re-election in 2022 no longer assured.