NEWNAN, Ga. — After battling COVID-19 in the hospital, a Newnan school resource officer has died due to complications with the virus, the police department announced Thursday.
"It is with great sadness that we announce Officer Ricky Tostenson has passed away after his battle with Covid-19," Chief Blankenship wrote in a social media post.
Blankenship posted the sad update to the Newnan Police Department's Facebook page two days after announcing Tostenson was hospitalized with the illness.
Tostenson was a 10-year veteran with the agency and had served 18 years in law enforcement, according to NPD. He was currently assigned to the department's SRO unit and patrolled at Evans Middle School.
"Ricky truly loved working with kids and enjoyed his job every day," the Facebook post reads.
Comments on the post spoke of the officer's gentle demeanor with students and his camaraderie with his fellow officers. Tostenson was recently honored for his exceptional service in 2020 for his life-saving efforts to help a man who underwent cardiac arrest, according to a Newnan Times-Herald report.
"Please continue to pray for Ricky’s family and NPD," Blankenship wrote.