Recruit fulfilling dream to become a Johnson County deputy dies weeks from graduation
Update: Additional information on Timothy Guyer's cause of death was added to this article on Sept. 22, 2023.
Original article: The death of a 49-year-old deputy at the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy in Plainfield is under investigation.
Timothy Guyer, a father of four, was fulfilling his dream of becoming a Johnson County Sheriff's Office deputy. He was found unresponsive in his dorm room at the facility Tuesday morning then pronounced dead. Guyer was two weeks away from graduating and returning to the sheriff’s office as a deputy.
Detectives with the Indiana State Police are investigating the death and preliminarily believe the deputy died of a medical issue, said ISP Sgt. John Perrine.
Close to two months after his death, the Hendricks County Coroner's Office stated Guyer's death was natural. Guyer died of severe hyponatremia with heart disease as a contributing factor, said chief deputy coroner Dan Chubb.
Hyponatremia is when the body does not have enough sodium. In Guyer's case this was caused by blood pressure medicine, medication similar to ibuprofen and sweating from physical activity. The low sodium caused the deputy's heart to become irritable, leading to his death, Chubb said.
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Guyer was a lifelong resident of Johnson County and felt called to become a police officer in his community after running a successful construction business for several years, said Major Andy Fisher with the sheriff's office.
"He had a dream he wanted to be a Johnson County deputy,” Fisher said. “He was a very faith-based individual, very much a family man. He just wanted to do something besides work for his business."
Tim Guyer became a Johnson County Sheriff deputy in December 2022
Guyer was sworn in as a deputy with the sheriff’s office in December and had completed 14 weeks at the academy before his death. The sheriff’s office will release information on his funeral and a memorial fund to support his wife and children in the coming days, Fisher said.
Timothy Horty, executive director of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy, said it was unusual for someone of Guyer’s age to attend the academy, but there is no age limit.
"Deputy Guyer saw it differently and god bless him for being here and being willing to go back and serve the community in Johnson County, where he was raised,” Horty said.
Guyer was found unresponsive after he didn’t report to breakfast formation around 7:45 a.m. then pronounced dead at the academy. Grief counselors are available for the other recruits and classes were canceled Monday, Horty said.
"Our thoughts and prayers go out to the family of Deputy Guyer, the Johnson County Sheriff's Department and all of our law enforcement agencies around the state,” Horty said.
Guyer’s death marks the third time a Central Indiana law enforcement officer has died in the line of duty in the past two months.
ISP Trooper Aaron Smith was killed June 28 just outside of Indianapolis in Plainfield while trying to deploy stop sticks in the pursuit of a stolen vehicle. Then on July 10, a detainee at the Adult Detention Center used his handcuffs to choke and kill Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy John Durm.
In addition, Marion County Sheriff’s Office deputy Tamieka White was killed while off-duty as she was protecting her young son during a dog attack in her home in May.
Contact Jake Allen at jake.allen@indystar.com. Follow him on Twitter @Jake_Allen19.
This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Indiana police death: Recruit dies at training weeks from graduation
