Mo. Police Officer Dies after Medical Emergency During Arrest
Source Officer.com News
What to know
- Bernie Police Lt. Eddie Mays, 58, died following a medical emergency while attempting to handcuff a suspect resisting arrest during a June 5 domestic violence call.
- The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating Mays' death, and preliminary reports indicate that the lieutenant might have died of complications from a medical condition.
- Mays had been with the department since January 2013, and he also had served with U.S. Air Force from 1988 until 1993.
A Missouri police officer died after suffering a medical emergency while trying to arrest a suspect during a call earlier this month, and the death is under investigation.
Bernie Police Lt. Eddie Mays, 58, had responded to a domestic violence call shortly before 5 p.m. June 5, and he was trying to arrest a resisting suspect, who was resisting arrest, according to a release from Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe's office. As he was trying to handcuff the suspect, Mays suffered a medical emergency and could not be revived.
Jeremy P. Blagg, 36, was arrested following the incident and charged with domestic assault. The Missouri State Highway Patrol is investigating Mays' death, and the lieutenant might have died of complications from a medical condition, KTTN-FM reports. An official cause of death will not be released until after an autopsy and investigation have concluded.
"(Mays) was the kind of officer you could count on, dependable and deeply committed to doing what was right," Police Chief Rick Cook said in a statement. "But beyond the badge, Eddie was a loyal friend. A brother in blue, and someone I was proud to walk beside for so many years. His loss leaves a hole in our department, in our town, and in our hearts.
Mays had joined the Bernie police force in January 2013 and became a lieutenant in December 2023. He also had been a member of the Stoddard County Sheriff's Office and Bloomfield Police Department after attending the Southeast Missouri State University Law Enforcement Training Academy and receiving his Missouri Peace Officer License in November 1998.
Along with his law enforcement career, Mays served with the U.S. Air Force from 1988 to 1993.
“We owe a tremendous debt to the dedicated heroes like Eddie, who take the oath of office and carry out its ideals each day they put on their uniform and badge to answer the call no matter the danger or risk to themselves," Gov. Kehoe stated. "Lieutenant Mays fulfilled his oath to serve and protect, and Missouri will be forever grateful.”
A memorial service for Mays was held June 11, and flags in the state were flown at half staff that day.
