Saturday service set for Pittsburgh police officer who was killed by covid

Officials on Wednesday confirmed that covid-19 was the cause of death for a Pittsburgh police officer who died earlier this week.

Brian Rowland, 47, died Sunday at St. Clair Hospital.

Officials did not immediately release Rowland’s cause of death in their Monday announcement, saying only that it came after “a brief illness.”

“Immediately following his passing, we adhered to the wishes of his family to respect his personal and private health information,” Chief Scott Schubert said in a statement. “His death, now confirmed to be the result of complications from covid-19, is hitting us all with enormous gravity, as it has the families and friends of the nearly 690,000 Americans who have died, and whose lives have been affected by the ravages of this virus.”

A 21-year veteran of the force, Rowland worked in the Zone 6 station in the city’s West End where he was supervised by Cmdr. Cristyn Zett.

“He was a no-nonsense guy who devoted his entire adult life to protecting and serving the residents of Pittsburgh,” Zett said Monday. “Brian was a devoted husband, a huge dog lover, a fitness enthusiast, a friend, and mentor to countless officers.”

Rowland’s death, she said, “leaves a huge void in the police bureau.”

Schubert said Rowland will receive the full honors of a fallen officer during a service on Saturday to “recognize his selfless contributions” to the city.

The chief called Rowland a dedicated officer as loyal friend.

“The Pittsburgh Police family is a family in the truest sense of the word,” he said in a statement. “The loss of one of our brothers in blue is felt acutely by each and every one of us. We serve together, we mourn together, and we will help each other through this together…as a family.”