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O.C. Sheriff’s deputy dies 6 years after collapsing during SWAT training exercise

by in News

An Orange County Sheriff’s Department deputy who collapsed during SWAT training exercises six years ago has died, authorities said.

Deputy Carlos Cammon (Courtesy of Orange County Sheriff’s Department)

Deputy Carlos Cammon passed away Friday night at a local rehabilitation facility from the injuries he suffered during a the training exercise in 2013, according to the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs.

He was 29 when he collapsed during the training exercise.

At the time of the incident, union officials said the collapse was due to what appeared to be “severe dehydration and cardiac issues,” but it was believed he would survive.

Cammon was a six-year veteran of the Orange County Sheriff’s Department and was assigned to patrol in Stanton, Orange County Sheriff Don Barnes said.

He received the Medal of Courage in 2010 with three other deputies after they subdued a man with a knife assaulting a woman in Orange. The four officers were off-duty when the incident occurred in a restaurant.

Tom Dominguez, president of the Association of Orange County Deputy Sheriffs, said on Saturday officials and members were sad to learn of Cammon’s passing.

“He’s pretty typical of a guy early in his career just wanting to do the most he could possibly do to serve the public,” Dominguez said. “That’s what he wanted most, to do a good job for the community he served and ultimately he paid the price.”

SWAT training, Dominguez said, requires deputies to be in top physical condition. He said Cammon overexerted himself during the training and, due to the exertion and dehydration, went into complete organ failure immediately.

He underwent multiple surgeries and was kept alive, but he never regained consciousness in the six years that followed the medical emergency, officials said.

Cammon was born in Los Angeles and was raised in San Gabriel. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology Law and Society from UC Irvine in 2006, according to his biography printed in the program of the 2010 Medal of Valor Luncheon, where Cammon received his award.

He began his career with the Sheriff’s Department in 2006 and was first assigned to the Central Justice Center in Santa Ana after he graduated from Basic Academy Class in 2007, the program said. He had plans to return to school to obtain a Master’s degree in Homeland Security and work within that division for the Sheriff’s Department in the future.

He lived in South Orange County at the time he received the award.

During his time off, Cammon had enjoyed “anything car related” and was “very active and competitive in team sports such as baseball and football,” the award program stated.

Cammon never married or had children, but he was very close with his mother, Lenora “Cookie” Sturdivant, who was by his side nearly every day in the hospital, Dominguez said.

“Mom never gave up hope and that’s what kept her going,” he said. “I think that’s what kept him going and all of us felt that maybe there was a glimmer of hope that he would come back, but unfortunately that didn’t happen.”

Union officials held a blood drive to support Cammon a month later after he had undergone several surgeries and was still hospitalized.

The Sheriff’s Department was notified of Cammon’s passing and sent deputies from Stanton to escort his body from the rehabilitation facility to the coroner’s office in Santa Ana, Dominguez said.

“We were able to show some respect to one of our guys,” he said. “They did it right.”