A longtime Durham County detention offiicer passed away over the weekend due to complications from COVID-19.

Alexander Reginald Pettiway, 55, died last Friday at WakeMed Hospital in Raleigh. According to a death certificate obtained by the News & Observer, the immediate cause of death is listed as COVID-19 and acute hypoxic respiratory failure.

According to a press release from the Durham County Sheriff’s Department, Pettiway joined the staff in 1996.

“To say he will be missed does not do justice to what any of us are feeling at this moment,” Major Cynthia Kornegay of the detention center said in the release. “Officer Pettiway was a unique, gentle soul and loved by us all.”

Sheriff Clarence Birkhead also released a statement.

“Losing a member of our Sheriff’s Office family is never something you are prepared for,” Birkhead said. “We will come together to support each other and Senior Officer Pettiway’s family as they deal with this great loss.”

This story was originally published April 29, 2020 at 11:44 AM.

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra

The News & Observer

(919) 297-8162

Aaron Sánchez-Guerra is a breaking news reporter for The News & Observer and previously covered business and real estate for the paper. His background includes reporting for WLRN Public Media in Miami and as a freelance journalist in Raleigh and Charlotte covering Latino communities. He is a graduate of North Carolina State University, a native Spanish speaker and was born in Mexico. You can follow his work on Twitter at @aaronsguerra.