Sergeant Justin White, 39, a 15-year veteran of the Port Orange Police Department, died on 8/5/21 from COVID-19. White died after about two weeks in the hospital, despite ICU care and the aid of a ventilator. For 15 months his wife Carlyn, since his death had been battling to have her husband’s loss designated as a line of duty death that would entitle her and the couple’s four children. The U.S. Department of Justice has determined that White died in the line of duty and has awarded federal in-line of duty benefits that Public Safety Officer Benefit offered through the Department of Justice provides a death/disability lump sum of up to $370,376. The program includes the presumption that COVID was contracted in the line of duty. White got his start in Port Orange in 2006 after graduating with honors from the Daytona State College Law Enforcement Program. He later earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice and juris master’s degree from Liberty University, studying online while he continued working. White became the department’s first Florida Department of Law Enforcement certified K-9 instructor. He was CEO / President of the Port Orange Police Association, IUPA Local 6051, Inc., in which he co-founded in 2017. He owned and operated a dog training business called Optimum K9, LLC, which he started in 2019. Sergeant White leaves behind his wife of nearly 17 years, Carlyn, their four children, Tyler, 17; Savannah, 13; Andrew, 11; Emily, 8; and his K9 Partner Rex who was euthanized on 11/4/22 at the age of 14. He is preceded in death by two of his children, whom he and his wife lost due to miscarriages.
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