Unvaccinated Barrington Officer Dies After Battle With COVID-19

BARRINGTON, RI — Barrington police Sgt. Gino Caputo died after a five-week battle with COVID-19, Chief Michael Correia said.

Caputo, 58, of Johnston, was a 27-year veteran of the town's police department. Police said he died Saturday morning, surrounded by his wife, Cindy, and other family members.

"Please keep Cindy and his (Caputo's) family in your thoughts and prayers," Correia said in a statement. "Rest in peace, Gino."

Cindy Caputo told WPRI 12 her husband chose not to get vaccinated against COVID-19, because he had no underlying health conditions and rarely got sick. But a couple days after a police training course, he started not feeling well and tested positive for the virus. His sister, Rosamaria Gallucci, urged everyone to get vaccinated before it's too late.

"A lot of people are going back and forth on vaccination, but the truth is, they really need to get vaccinated," Gallucci told WPRI 12. "They need to get vaccinated because this is a perfect example of what will happen if they don't."

Police said funeral arraignment details will come at a later date.