Erica McAdoo always wanted to serve her community. She began her career in the Coast Guard, but after several years at sea, McAdoo returned to land and joined the Los Angeles Police Department.
She was a custody services officer for several years, working with inmates. At the start of this year, she was promoted and began a new role as a senior detention officer, overseeing other officers. But not long after her promotion, McAdoo felt ill and was admitted to a hospital. She remained in intensive care for 98 days and died from complications related to COVID-19 on July 3, the first LAPD officer known to have died from coronavirus.
“She had everything going for her,” said Keith Royston, McAdoo’s uncle. “She was 39 years old, and this virus took everything.”
“Erica was so smart,” said another uncle, Lamont Royston. “She was one of the smartest people in our family.”
McAdoo was born in Oklahoma in 1981. Four years later, her mother, Donna Royston, moved Erica and her elder sister Danielle to Los Angeles.
“Erica and her mother were best friends,” Keith said. While McAdoo loved her work, she had another passion in life: food — specifically Oklahoma style barbecue. In 2016, McAdoo along with her mother founded Reddz Foodz, a barbecue catering service.
Donna had grown up cooking Oklahoma barbeque and taught her daughter how to prepare perfect ribs, cornbread and greens.
“She was a great cook,” Lamont said. “Their dream was to open a food truck.”
McAdoo had created a Yelp page for Reddz Foodz and written about her love of cooking and delight in sharing delicious food with others.
“I have a passion for making people happy and feel good from the inside, out,” McAdoo wrote. “My reward is seeing people dance a little when they eat.”
Cooking was also part of McAdoo’s heritage and an homage to her grandmother Ruth, who died last year. McAdoo wrote on the Yelp page: “We are here to continue to build her [Ruth’s] legacy with love for our family, passion for cooking and commitment to our goals.”
Donna and Erica devoted time to supporting their community in Carson.
“They would make food bags for the homeless people,” Lamont said. “Their friends would come over and they would all go out together to pass out food, just out of the kindness of their hearts.”
The two also loved to travel together and would take cruises. Cancun was a favorite destination. McAdoo had a close-knit circle of friends within the LAPD who enjoyed spending time together. Within the Custody Services department, McAdoo was seen as a leader. In a statement posted on Instagram, her co-workers wrote: “Our hearts grieve as we mourn the loss of our sister, Erica McAdoo. Our condolences are extended to her mother and family. We hope they take comfort in knowing she was loved, respected and admired.”
The post also praised McAdoo’s drive to improve the department: “If one of the ultimate goals in life is to make a difference in the lives of others, Erica accomplished that. Our division and its personnel are better because of her time and commitment.”
Among those issuing statements of condolence were Gov. Gavin Newsom and his wife, Jennifer, and Beatrice Girmala, assistant chief director of support services at the LAPD, who wrote about McAdoo: “She left us a hero.”
In honor of McAdoo, flags at the state capitol building were flown at half-staff. Donna posted about her daughter on Facebook writing: “I can’t begin to tell you all what the loss of my daughter and friend has done to me, my heart will forever be broken and changed.”
She also called for people to take COVID-19 seriously.
“Please wear a mask, people, if not to protect yourself then for all the others folks you love or care about — it’s that simple.”
McAdoo is survived by her mother, sister, uncles and extended family. As posted in The LA Times – Lives Lost in California