Miami Beach, FL – Miami Beach Police Department (MBPD) Sergeant Larry Marrero died in the line of duty on Nov. 28, after he suffered a heart attack while participating in his agency’s physical fitness program.

Sgt. Marrero, 58, suffered the medical emergency at the MBPD headquarters on Alton Road, WPLG reported.

Emergency crews arrived at the scene just after 11 a.m. and rushed Sgt. Marrero to Mount Sinai Medical Center, where he later passed away, according to WTVJ.

“Detective Marrero was a consummate professional who always excelled in his assignments,” MBPD Officer Ernesto Rodriguez said in a press release. “Revered as a leader among his peers and supervisors alike, Larry will be truly missed.”

Sgt. Marrero, a 28-year veteran of the department, was a “decorated officer” who “served with distinction” throughout his career, Officer Rodriguez said.

He was working as a background investigator at the time of his death, and previously served as a homicide detective, school resource officer and auto-theft investigator.

Sgt. Marrero spent two decades on the department’s SWAT team, and also served in the marine patrol and patrol divisions during his career.

He was named as one of America’s Top Police Officers by Parade in 2009, after he obtained a confession needed to convict a murderer who beat a man to death ten years earlier.

He was posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant by the department, Officer Rodriguez said in a Twitter post.

“The Miami Beach Police Department asks for prayers for his immediate and extended family as we begin to cope with this tragic loss of a dear friend and colleague,” Officer Rodriguez said.

Sgt. Marrero leaves behind his wife and two children, according to the Officer Down Memorial Page.

A fundraising campaign has been established to assist the family in the wake of Sgt. Marrero’s tragic death.

During his memorial services on Dec. 3, first responders fired water cannons in salute as the funeral procession crossed over the MacArthur Causeway, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Miami Beach Police Department Sergeant Larry Marrero, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.

Rest easy, hero. We’ll hold the line from here.