IREDELL COUNTY, N.C. — An Iredell County deputy died from complications caused by COVID-19, the sheriff's office confirmed Wednesday.
Sgt. Gary Mayhorn served with the Iredell County Sheriff's Office from 2003, most recently as a supervisor at the Iredell County jail.
"Sergeant Mayhorn will be remembered as a humble, caring officer, who gave so much of himself to ensure the safety and well being of those entrusted to his care," Sheriff Darren Campbell wrote on Facebook. "He always had a smile on his face, and often an encouraging word, when you saw him."
According to an obituary on the Dignity Memorial website, the funeral graveside service for Mayhorn will be held Mon, Oct. 11, at 2:30 p.m. at Iredell Memorial Gardens with Rev. Jeff Webb officiating.
Mayhorn is the second law enforcement officer from the Charlotte area to die from COVID-19 in recent days. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police officer Julio Herrera, a 28-year veteran, died just months shy of retirement this week. Herrera also served as a resource officer at Ardrey Kell High School.
RELATED: Yes, COVID-19 is the leading cause of death for on-duty law enforcement officers so far in 2021
For the second year in a row, COVID-19 is the leading cause of death for law enforcement in the United States. According to data from the Officer Down Memorial Page, more than 60% of officers killed this year died from the virus, more than quadruple the number of officers killed by gunfire.
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