Dad, police lieutenant dies of COVID in Oklahoma. ‘Father that all fathers should be’

Police Lt. Brandon Owens was also an Army veteran and a dad of girls when he died of COVID-19 complications, Oklahoma officials say.

He died Tuesday, March 1, after a “long, very hard fight” with the viral disease, according to the Union City Police Department. Owens had been in an intensive care unit since Jan. 8, KOKH reported.

Officials did not say whether Owens was vaccinated against the coronavirus.

“There are no words to express our heartbreak,” the department shared to Facebook that evening.

“Lt. Owens was the epitome of a servant,” police continued. “He spent many years and multiple tours overseas with the U.S. Army before being retired. Lt. Owens brought that leadership and servitude with him into the law enforcement profession, and was an officer that ALL officers should strive to emulate.”

“Lt. Owens was the person that would literally give you his shirt if you needed one. He dedicated his life to helping people, and the joy he received from that is unmatched.”

Also a father, police say Owens was always there for his girls and their activities. The department described him as “the father that all fathers should be.”

Owens died less than a month after police Chief Richard Stephens died of COVID-19, according to KOCO.

Globally, more than 5.9 million people have died of COVID-19 as of March 2, according to Johns Hopkins University & Medicine data. Over 439 million COVID-19 cases have been reported worldwide.

Union City is a western town in the Oklahoma City metropolitan area.

This story was originally published March 2, 2022 at 10:54 AM with the headline "Dad, police lieutenant dies of COVID in Oklahoma. ‘Father that all fathers should be’."