Family reveals how 24-year-old Georgia officer died, raises money for his funeral expenses

A Georgia community is trying to raise money for an officer who died earlier this week in the line of duty.

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City of Cairo officer Clarence “CJ” Williams died after he suffered a medical emergency during a foot chase, according to the Officer Down Memorial web page, which tracks officer deaths nationwide.

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Williams, 24, was helping a Grady County Sheriff’s Deputy during a traffic stop on Jan. 28 when the suspect ran from the car. He collapsed and could not be revived, according to the website.

Williams is the first line-of-duty death for a Georgia officer this year. He had been with the Cairo police department for two years.

According to a GoFundMe set up to help the family, Williams “had his heart set on serving his community” and knew that he wanted to make a difference from a young age.

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“CJ talked about how law enforcement had a negative reputation, and he knew that it was time to step up and make a positive impact,” his mother wrote. “CJ sadly passed away in the line of duty on Saturday, January 28th, doing what he was born to do - MAKE A DIFFERENCE.”

The family is hoping to raise $10,000 to cover Williams’ funeral expenses.