Rookie NJ police officer dies after 2 weeks on the job

⚫ Officer Samuel Irvin had been on the job for two week when he died

⚫ He already made an impact on the Mansfield police department

⚫ Services are Saturday

MANSFIELD — A community is mourning a rookie police officer and expectant father after his sudden death this weekend.

Servics for Officer Samuel Irvin are Saturday.

Irvin died Sunday at the age of 23, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. A cause of death was not disclosed. A GoFundMe page said Irvin died “despite the best efforts of emergency responders.”

A friend told New Jersey 101.5 he died after suffering a "catastrophic cardiac arrest" during a routine workout.

Irvin had been on the job since July 10 after graduating from the Gloucester County Police Academy. He earned his associate's degree in applied science from Mercer County Community College, a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Wilmington University and graduated from Northern Burlington Regional High School in 2018.

He was captain of the baseball team in both high school and college.

Fond memories of a rookie

The flag in front of the Mansfield police station has flown at half-staff all week.

"We are trying our hardest to honor him in the best way we can, but nothing we do will amount to the man, expectant father, fiancé, brother, son, and friend that Samuel Irvin was. The outpouring of support that has already been shown for our brother in blue is humbling and makes us remember that we are all ONE family," the department wrote on its Facebook page. He was deeply dedicated to serving the community and making the world a better place.”

The department canceled its upcoming National Night Out.

"Sam was one of the most selfless people I've ever met. He was somebody who would give you the shirt off his back if you asked him to. His loyalty was unmatched. When he put his mind to something, he got it done. He never complained, he put in the necessary work to succeed in everything he did," a friend told New Jersey 101.5.

His parents are calling his funeral a "celebration of life" in order to recall happy memories of him and his life. It takes place at 1 p.m. at the Columbus Baptist Church in Columbus. Visitation is beforehand from 11 a.m. - 1 p.m.

In lieu of flowers, his family asked for donations to a GoFundMe page to benefit his unborn child.

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