Somerset Police Officer Collapses, Dies While Off-Duty With Family

SOMERSET (CBS) -- Local police Officer B.J. Voss died suddenly Saturday while off-duty in Warwick, R.I., the Police Department reported in a prepared statement.

Voss, 35, was with his family at the time of the incident and had finished a 15-hour shift a few hours before he collapsed at about 6 p.m. He was taken to Kent Hospital in Warwick, where he was pronounced dead, the police said.

The Somerset resident had been a full-time police officer in the town for the past two and a half years.

Police Chief Joseph Ferreira, who had known Voss for more than a decade, described the officer as "an extraordinary family man and a truly dedicated hard worker who loved his family, his friends, his job and the town of Somerset. His life's ambition was to be a police officer and we were extremely fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with him and get to know him as a great person."

Voss leaves his wife and two sons, age 8 and 13.

Arrangements will be announced at a future date, the police said.