Alabama police chief told family he’d get COVID vaccine if he recovered. He never did
A 65-year-old Alabama police chief who died of COVID-19 regretted not getting vaccinated, his family said.
Buddy Crabtree, who had been with the Ider Police Department since 2011, died on Oct. 30 after nearly a month long battle with the coronavirus, WAFF-TV reported.
Crabtree’s wife, Kristie Crabtree, said her husband’s diagnosis came as a shock since he seemed healthy and kept busy, according to WAAY-TV.
He was admitted to Highlands Medical Center in Alabama on Oct. 2 and was flown to CHI Memorial Hospital in Tennessee 17 days later, Kristie Crabtree told WAFF-TV.
“He actually said, ‘If I get better, I’ll take all three (vaccines), I don’t ever want to go through this again,’” Kristie Crabtree told WAAY-TV.
Now the town of Ider, which has a population of 735 people, is mourning the loss of one of their own.
“I want to thank you all for the outpouring love and prayers for Buddy and his family,” town Mayor Wendy Lassetter said on Facebook. “To say he’ll be missed is an understatement. I love reading all the sweet posts of what he meant to you and the funny things he did. He loved this Town and it’s people for sure! He was a part of my everyday … phone call, text, stop by my office …. Lord I miss those already!”
“Chief Crabtree gave many loyal years of service to his town,” the DeKalb County Sheriff’s Office said on Facebook. “Our jobs as law enforcement officers require us to continue to serve even if it means risking our own health. Please pray that this virus leaves us soon. We have lost too many good people.”
This story was originally published November 2, 2021 at 11:25 AM with the headline "Alabama police chief told family he’d get COVID vaccine if he recovered. He never did."
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