DOUGLAS COUNTY, Colo. — The Douglas County Sheriff's Office (DCSO) honored fallen Deputy Joe Pollack, who died of COVID-19 last week.
"A lot of you knew him as the guy with really bad jokes or the guy with the New York accent. But, I think all of us knew him by his love for others," Kelsey Pollack, Joe's daughter, said.
DCSO said his death is considered a line of duty death. The Sheriff's Office held a procession for Pollack on Friday morning.
"I’m gonna share some insights about detective Joe Pollack, a genuine true blue cop’s cop," Sheriff Tony Spurlock, Douglas County, said.
Spurlock said Pollack was a talented investigator.
"The guy was incredible. He had the incredible ability to talk to people. He would get people to confess all the time," Spurlock said.
Before Pollack worked as a detective in the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, he was a New York City police officer for 20 years. He moved to Colorado shortly after 9-11 and his friend Lt. Tommy Barrella said Pollack had to go back to help.
"Joe flew back to New York to go down to Ground Zero and start doing what everybody wanted to do and he was able to go do," Barrella said. "He met up with his partner of 18 years, Detective Robert Bobby Williamson and began sifting through the rubble."
But, Barella said that work started health issues that ended with Pollack contracting COVID on the job.
"Joe didn’t escape the physical effects of Ground Zero, but was able to manage them over the years. Unfortunately, the effects of Ground Zero also caught up with Joe as he battled COVID over the last few weeks and ultimately passed away," Barrella said.
The memorial service took place at the Southeast Christian Church located at 9650 Jordan Road in Parker. It was open to the public and live-streamed on the church's YouTube page.
The procession started at the Douglas County Fairgrounds, located at 500 Fairgrounds Road in Castle Rock. The procession continued on the following route:
• Westbound Plum Creek Pkwy to northbound Interstate 25
• I-25 north to E-470
• E-470 to southbound Jordan Road
• Jordan Road south to Southeast Christian Church
The Sheriff's Office said the northbound lanes of I-25 and the eastbound lanes of E-470 were closed from 9:30 a.m. until the procession was clear. The road has since been reopened.
Over his career with the Douglas County Sheriff's Office, Pollack won two Medals of Valor. During the service, Sheriff Spurlock posthumously awarded Pollack the third Medal of Valor for his actions during the Stem School Highlands Ranch shooting in 2019.
"I know my Dad loved what he did and he was really good at it," Kelsey Pollack said. "Thank you all so much for being here and for that I would like to make a toast to the best guy I know, Joe Pollack."
RELATED: Sheriff Sergeant dies from COVID-19, 6th Colorado law enforcement member to die from the disease
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