'Just a good human being': Coralville police officer dies from medical emergency while on duty

Editor's Note: A news release from the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation misspelled Damari Sanders' first name. The child's first name has been corrected in this story.

The Coralville community is grieving after a longtime police officer died Sunday from a medical emergency suffered while on duty responding to a call about a child who had been shot, who also later died.

Sgt. John Williams, 59, died after responding to a call shortly after noon on Sunday about 3-year-old Damari Sanders, who was reported to have been the victim of a gunshot wound suffered in his Coralville home. Sanders died at a local hospital later that evening, police officials said. His death is under investigation.

Williams, a 28-year veteran of the Coralville Police Department, suffered an "acute medical emergency," according to a post on the Coralville Police Department's Facebook page. The post did not offer further details, and Coralville Police Chief Shane Kron was unavailable for comment Tuesday.

Lonny Pulkrabek, retired Johnson County sheriff, said he knew Williams well after spending more than a decade working with him and described him as an officer his colleagues could depend on.

Pulkrabek told the Press-Citizen on Tuesday that Williams and he often worked evening shifts that coincided.

"Oftentimes, we would take our dinner at the same time," Pulkrabek said.

Kron, who joined the Coralville Police Department in 1990, would frequently join them, he said.

Pulkrabek spoke highly of Williams' character, commenting on his intelligence, street sense and family values.

"He was a straightforward kind of guy. He had a sense of humor, though, at times a dry sense of humor, but just no nonsense, and you always knew where you stood with him," Pulkrabek said. "He's one of those guys, if he's on a call, you don't have to second-guess what he's doing or his decisions."

The loss of Williams is significant for the Coralville Police Department, Pulkrabek said.

"It's tragic because I know he was looking forward to retirement," Pulkrabek said. "He's just a good human being."

Coralville Mayor Meghann Foster told the Press-Citizen she has ordered flags to be flown at half-staff in honor of Williams. She said the city is working to make sure Williams' family is taken care of and that Police Department staffers are OK after losing "a great friend and colleague."

"Right now, we're just in shock and still processing what has happened," she said.

There has been an outpouring of condolences about Williams' death on both the Coralville Police Department Facebook post and other social media platforms. Iowa state Sen. Zach Wahls tweeted that Williams was an "exemplary officer, a great neighbor, and a family man."

Williams was born in Cedar Rapids and grew up in Mount Pleasant, according to an online obituary posted Tuesday afternoon by Gay & Ciha funeral home. He is survived by his wife, Kim, four children and six grandchildren.

A funeral service will be held at 10 a.m. Monday at Grace Community Church in North Liberty. Visitation will be from 4-7 p.m. Sunday, also at Grace Community Church. Williams' family is requesting that memorial donations in his honor be made to Project K9 Hero (https://projectk9hero.org/).

This article originally appeared on Iowa City Press-Citizen: Coralville police officer dies from 'acute medical emergency' on duty