Whiteville Police Department, community mourn the loss of an officer

WHITEVILLE, N.C. (WECT) - Whiteville Police Department shared on social media that an officer with the department, Sgt. Cameron Lemmons, had died Tuesday.

“You just don’t expect it. 28-years-old, he leaves behind his wife and kids. It’s just devastating, absolutely devastating. He was a rising star in law-enforcement,” siad Whiteville PD Chief Doug Ipock.

Lemmons died unexpectedly, but Chief Ipock said this is a great loss for the community and the department/

“Even if we saw it coming it would not of made it any easier for who he was and what he contributed to the Department and the community,” Chief Ipock said.

In a Facebook post, Whiteville PD said, “Sgt. Cameron Lemmons was much more than a dedicated police officer. He was our brother and our friend. Our hearts are truly shattered.”

Prayers were requested for his wife and two children.

The Whiteville PD and Columbus County Sheriff’s Office are accepting donations for the family -- diapers are needed, but any donation is welcome. Donations can be dropped off in person.

• Whiteville Police Department, 117 E Columbus Street, Whiteville, NC, 28472
• Columbus County Sheriff’s Office, 805 Washington Street, Whiteville, NC, 28472

In a show of support for the loss of one of their own, law enforcement officers accompanied the vehicle bringing Lemmons home Wednesday.

Chief Ipock said there are lots of memories that come to mind when he hears Lemmons name, but there is one that sticks out because it shows who Lemmons was as a person.

“When he had his twins I used to kid him that he was going to have to buy a minivan now and he was gonna have to give up his motorcycle and he assured me that was never going to happen, that he would always have his motorcycle. He went out and bought a suburban instead, so I used to kid him all the time but that was the kind of guy he was, so fun to be around,” Ipock said.

Sgt. Lemmons was with the department for five years after serving in the military, and he left a lasting impact on everyone he met.

“It’s gonna be difficult to replace him,” Ipock said. “It’s gonna take time to come to grips with it in reality, understand how to move on without him.”

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