Sergeant William James Darnell

William James Darnell

Sergeant Bill Darnell died as the result of complications after contracting COVID-19 while on duty.

In 2008 Sergeant Darnell was ambushed and shot point-blank in the face during a domestic disturbance call. Despite his wounds, Sergeant Darnell was able to fight back and killed his attacker. As a result of his courage, Sergeant Darnell was presented with one of the nation's Top Cop awards by President Barack Obama in 2009.

Sergeant Darnell had served with the DeWitt Township Police Department for 20 years. He is survived by his wife and three children.

Beginning in early 2020, due to the requirements of their job, thousands of law enforcement officers and other first responders throughout the United States contracted COVID-19 during the worldwide pandemic. Hundreds of law enforcement officers died from medical complications as a result of contracting the virus while remaining on duty and interacting with the community.