Manchester police officer dies suddenly during workout

A Manchester police officer's sudden and unexpected death shocks his family, comrades and friends.

Officer Scott R. Thompson, 47, died this morning after collapsing during a workout in the gym at police headquarters, according to information released by Manchester police Captain Todd Malland.

He leaves behind his wife, Tracy, and daughters Kelsey and Sydney.

"Scott was a kind, dedicated officer and family man. He loved his family and his fellow officers. Please keep his family in your thoughts and prayers. We all loved Scott and he will be missed terribly," Chief Lisa Parker said in a prepared release.

Thompson served on the force since 1999, 13 years after his first assignment as an 18-year-old special officer in Seaside Heights. He graduated from the Ocean County Police Academy in 1987, and followed it with terms in South Toms River and later Lakehurst, where he also served on the Manchester-Lakehurst Emergency Response Team.

Thompson earned many citations for service, most recently a 2014 Meritorious Service Award for his peaceful resolution of a potentially dangerous confrontation with an individual suffering a mental disorder.

He was the recipent of a letter from a motorcycle crash victim that read, in part, "I could not have been in better hands than those of Officer Thompson. He was caring, professional, and represented your department in a manner which you should be proud."

Thompson will posthumously be accorded the rank of Corporal, for which he was slated for promotion before his death, officials said.

Funeral arrangements have not yet been announced.