Officer Who Was Weeks Short of Graduating from Police Academy Dies in Off-Duty Accident
In a Facebook post shared on Monday, April 14, the department announced the death of Officer Braydon Butler following injuries he sustained in an off-duty accident.
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Butler's association with the BCSO started when he was 14 years old and took part in the department's High School Explorers program.
"Braydon graduated from high school here in Barrow County and was hired as a Detention Officer where he started his path to becoming a Deputy Sheriff," officials added. "Braydon worked hard and was only 4 weeks away from graduating the Northeast Georgia Police Academy along with several other Cadets but tragically his life ended."
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Speaking with local station AccessWDUN, Barrow County Sheriff Jud Smith said they have retired his number, DC-21, and they are trying to figure out how to posthumously make him a deputy sheriff.
Additional details about the accident were not publicly shared by officials.
Related: Police Officer and 'Devoted' Father Dies in Crash While Coming Home from Fellow Cop's Funeral
Butler was remembered by his colleagues as being a "light to others."
'In true Braydon fashion even after death he is still serving others by saving lives through his organ donations,' the BCSO wrote in their statement. 'We ask that our community please lift up the entire Butler family, friends, and our Office during this difficult time."
Related: Third Florida Deputy Dies After Crash Killed 2 Others: 'Mourning the Loss of Another Hero'
Meanwhile, Butler's family requested that donations be made in the memory of their loved one to the Barrow County Sheriff's Office Employee Fund, said the department.
The Barrow County Sheriff's Office did not immediately respond to PEOPLE's request for additional information.
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