The COVID-19 crisis hit especially close to home for Purdue basketball as Boilermaker freshman Brandon Newman lost his father to the disease.

Ronald Newman, a decorated member of the Chicago Police Department, passed away early Friday, the department announced. He was 59.

The Purdue program acknowledged Ronald Newman's death Monday, issuing the following statement.

“The Purdue athletic department and men’s basketball program is deeply saddened by the death of Ronald Newman. We send our condolences to the Newman family, and have reached out to Brandon and his family during their time of need.”

According to the most recent data from the Centers for Disease Control, 37,202 deaths In the United States have now been attributed to the coronavirus, with there now being 720,630 confirmed cases.

As has been the case with many major popular centers, Chicago has been hit hard. According to the city, as of Sunday, 500 Chicagoans had died from the virus. Ronald Newman, the third Chicago police office to lose his life to COVID-19, worked on the city's south side.

Membership Info: Sign up for GoldandBlack.com now | Why join? | Questions?

Follow GoldandBlack.com: Twitter | Facebook | YouTube

More: Gold and Black Illustrated/Gold and Black Express | Subscribe to our podcast

Copyright, Boilers, Inc. 2020. All Rights Reserved. Reproducing or using editorial or graphical content, in whole or in part, without permission, is strictly prohibited.