Newnan school resource officer, father of 4 dies of COVID-19

NEWNAN, Ga. — A Newnan school resource officer has lost his month-long battle against COVID-19.

Newnan Police Chief Brent Blankenship said in a Facebook post that Officer Frankie Gutierrez has passed away from complications from the virus.

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Just last week, Chief Blankenship asked the community for prayers, saying Officer Gutierrez had been battling the virus for more than three weeks.

“During his time at the department he quickly grew to become family. There was not a day that went by that he was not smiling and laughing. He will be missed by all of us here at NPD,” the post read.

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Police did not comment on whether or not Gutierrez was vaccinated against the virus.

“He fought it with all of his might,” Chief Blankenship said in the statement.

According to a GoFundMe set up for the family, Gutierrez had four children, including a newborn.

He had recently taken a position as a School Resource Officer with at Welch Elementary School so he could spend more time with his wife and the baby, who was born in July, according to the Newnan Times-Herald.

Officer Van Meadows told the Times-Herald that he probably only worked one or two full days at the school before getting sick.

Gutierrez joined the Newnan Police Department in 2018.

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