ATLANTA — Georgia Tech says a longtime university police officer has died from COVID-19.
The Georgia Tech Police Department posted on social media Thursday that Officer James Cornacchia had died June 1 following his battle against the virus.
TRENDING STORIES:
- Suspect in Ahmaud Arbery murder used N-word while standing over body, GBI says
- Former Georgia Bulldog quarterback Jake Fromm apologizes for ‘elite white people’ text
- 3 protesters tracked officers to their homes, threw Molotov cocktails at police cars, authorities say
The department said Cornacchia was a 20-year veteran of the force and most recently worked as patrol officer.
“He was a loving father, husband, brother, son and friend,” the department said in a Tweet. “Officer Cornacchia was a valued member of the Georgia Tech community and will be sorely missed.”
Tech said Cornacchia had not been on campus for several weeks prior to being diagnosed.
A GoFundMe account has been set up to help his family with expenses.
According to the GoFundMe page, Cornacchia’s wife has been tested positive for COVID-19, and is now recovering herself.
“They have three young boys – Sal, Gio, and Vinny – who are devastated from the loss of their beloved dad,” the page said. “He said his favorite part of being an officer at Georgia Tech was interacting with the students.”