Roll of Honor
Incident
Police Officer Darryl Fortner died from complications as the result of contracting COVID-19 in the line of duty.
Officer Fortner had served with the Vestavia Hills Police Department for over seven years and previously served 20 years with the Birmingham Police Department.
COVID-19 and Law Enforcement
Police Officer Darryl Wayne Fortner died on April 6, 2022 of COVID-19 contracted in the line of duty. He was 53.
He is one of 884 officers honored here.
Beginning in early 2020, law enforcement officers across the country contracted COVID-19 in the course of their duties. While much of the nation sheltered at home, they kept answering calls, making arrests, transporting prisoners, and working face to face with the public. There was no distance to be had from the job.
Corrections officers were hit hardest. Confined facilities and large populations meant constant, close, unavoidable exposure.
Survivors
He is survived by his wife, son, daughter, three grandchildren, mother, and sister.
In Our Keeping
- Permanent identifier
BO-US-AL-7382AB71- Stewardship
- Maintained by NeuraWeb Global Inc.
- Added to badge.nw
- April 2, 2026
- Last updated
- July 23, 2026
Honored here by 1 sentinel - 1 tribute.
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Tributes
The country locked its doors. You kept working.
Police Officer Fortner gave the Vestavia Hills Police Department 27 years.
Thank you for your service to the Vestavia Hills community. Gone but never to be forgotten.
Rest easy, Police Officer Fortner.
— S. Vincent Anthony, U.S. Army 1985-1993
Agency
Service Record
Incident Details
Police Officer Darryl Wayne Fortner is one of 2,974 officers lost to illness connected to their service across the full record of this memorial — 9.1% of all 32,508 officers honored here.
In AL, 23 of 643 officers were lost to illness connected to their service — 3.6% of this state's fallen. That is 5.5 percentage points below the national rate of 9.1%.
At Vestavia Hills Police Department, 1 of 2 officers on record were lost to illness connected to their service — 50% of this agency's fallen.
National Cause Distribution
How Illness compares to all causes of officer death in the memorial record. Darryl Wayne Fortner's cause is highlighted.
How Darryl Wayne Fortner Compares
When Illness Deaths Occur
Monthly distribution of Illness deaths across the full memorial record. Darryl Wayne Fortner is highlighted in Apr.
Incident Location
Others Who Wore This Badge
1 officer from Vestavia Hills Police Department are honored on badge.nw.
