Police sergeant, father of 4 dies after ‘long battle’ with COVID in NJ. ‘True gentleman’
A police sergeant died after “a long battle” with COVID-19, leaving behind a wife and four boys in New Jersey, a sheriff’s office wrote in a post mourning the loss.
He “was a true gentleman and a man of God,” the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office in Toms River said in a Feb. 23 Facebook statement.
Sgt. Matthew S. Horton, 40, of Berkeley, died in the hospital on Tuesday, Feb. 22, after the sheriff was notified Friday that Horton’s illness was worsening, the Asbury Park Press reported. His death comes after his comrade, another sheriff’s officer, died on Feb. 14 in a car crash, according to the outlet.
Horton “was such an amazing husband, father, and friend. Matt will always be remembered and forever missed,” a GoFundMe recently created for Horton said, adding that he was hospitalized since January.
“He has always had a passion for Law Enforcement and helping others.”
Horton was the first commander of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Office’s Rapid Deployment Team and worked in the Judicial, Field Services and Professional Standards Unit, according to the office.
“God bless you Matthew until we meet again.”
He formerly served in the Marine Corps, according to the Asbury Park Press.
“After his honorable discharge Matt worked in several local spots until fulfilling a dream for law enforcement,” organization Ma Deuce Deuce, which supports local veterans in the state and was established by Marine Corps members, wrote in a Feb. 23 Facebook post honoring Horton. It added that Horton had served in the military with the group’s members.
“He made allies everywhere he went. Even on his deathbed he had a place in the hearts of all the nurses and doctors he encountered.”
Horton’s cousin Bethany Davis wrote on Feb. 23 on Facebook that the family is “heartbroken by the loss” of Horton.
“Please keep his wife and four boys in prayer.”
Berkeley is about 45 miles southeast of Trenton.
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