Doral, FL – Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Jermaine Brown died in the line of duty on Wednesday, after he lost control of his department ATV and crashed into a tree.

Officer Brown, 46, was patrolling on a canal bank in the southwest area of the county when the crash occurred at approximately 3 p.m., the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

He was patrolling with two other officers at the time, Miami-Dade Police Department Director Juan Perez said, according to the Miami Herald.

The 15-year veteran of the department was rushed by ambulance to the Jackson South Medical Center, where he succumbed to his injuries, WPLG reported.

“During one of the attempted enforcement actions where the officer was trying to get to another location where he was being summoned to, he had an unfortunate accident that is currently under investigation so it will reveal what actually occurred,” Director Perez explained, according to WFOR.

“Officer Brown lost his life while protecting our community, as he responded to assist fellow officers,” the director said in a press release on Thursday morning.

“We ask that our Miami-Dade community keep his family in your thoughts and prayers as they navigate through this tragic and sudden loss,” he added.

The exact cause of the collision remains under investigation, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

Officer Brown’s wife is also a sergeant in the Miami-Dade Police Department’s training bureau, according to WFOR.

The couple has three children, the South Florida Sun Sentinel reported.

“We stand united with the family and the children of the officer,” Director Perez said while choking back tears on Wednesday evening. “We’re down on a knee right know, bended knee, but we’ll stand up again for the officer and his family, and we’ll continue to support them.”

At approximately 7 p.m. on Wednesday, Officer Brown’s body was escorted from the hospital to the medical examiner’s office by a large police procession, WFOR reported.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Miami-Dade Police Department Officer Jermaine Brown, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.

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