Autopsy says 'cardiac event' caused Ga. officer's death

Colleagues remember the Lieutenant as a healthy, determined, and loving man

By PoliceOne Staff

MACON, Ga. — The Macon Police Chief announced during a press conference Monday that the cause of death of a training director and SWAT commander was a "cardiac event" caused by an enlarged heart.

Lt. Mark Cotton, 49, died Sunday, having served 27 years with the Macon Police Department.

"He always set the standards higher for himself than anybody else that he had to train," Chief Mike Burns said, according to the Macon Telegraph. "He took joy in ... being better physically fit than the younger officers."

Police Lt. David Freeland said Cotton "was really dedicated... Everything he did was just breathing the police department and the SWAT team."

The autopsy also showed that Cotton was in peak physical condition, and an EMT and friend recalled Cotton often running 10 miles before coming to work and hitting the road again with recruits, according to the article.