AMARILLO, Texas (KAMR/KCIT) – Amarillo Police Department Sergeant Raquel Saunders, 50, died due to complications from COVID-19 Wednesday, Oct. 13, after 23 years of service throughout the department.

According to the Amarillo Police Department announcement of her passing, Sergeant Saunders joined the department on Oct. 8 in 1998 and spent her career working throughout multiple units. Most recently, she was a detective in the Domestic Violence Investigation Unit.

Saunders was a mother to four, including another officer and a Potter County Deputy, though the department asked for respect for the privacy of the family during the difficult time of loss.

“Our thoughts and prayers go out to her family and friends.” said the department on social media, Thursday morning.

According to the Officer Down Memorial Page in September, over 132 members of law enforcement agencies were known to have died of COVID-19 in 2021. The virus is now a leading cause of death among US law enforcement. The Dumas Police Chief Marvin Trejo also died from COVID-19, in 2020.