CINCINNATI — Outside Clark Montessori High School on Monday, flags flew at half-staff to underscore a loss reverberating throughout the Cincinnati Police Department.
To those who knew him, CPD Officer Marcellus Keyon Jones was a passionate, dedicated worker with a beaming smile.
Jones, 33, died after suffering an "unexpected medical emergency" on Saturday, the Cincinnati Police Department said.
WATCH: Hear Jones' colleagues, in their own words, describe the loss and his lasting impact
"He was really a brother to us. You get so close with the people that you work with just because of the nature of the work that we do," said Ken Kober, president of the Cincinnati Police Union. "(He) had such a promising future ahead of him, but it does just highlight how precious life is."
In a post on Facebook, CPD asked that all sworn members of the department shroud their badges in memory of Jones.
The Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police said Jones died Saturday morning. The medical issue was not disclosed.
Originally from the Cleveland area, Jones started at the Wilberforce University Police Department in August 2018, and was promoted to Sergeant in February 2021, according to the Greater Cincinnati Police Historical Society.
He then joined CPD in October 2021 as a recruit. He was eventually promoted to officer and was assigned as a school resource officer at Clark Montessori High School in Hyde Park.
"I would say Marcellus was dedicated to protecting and serving his community, and he did it with such integrity and honor, it was effortless for him to do so," Officer Andrea Booker, a school resource officer, said. "I think he just made such a large impact on the community that he served, the schools that he served."
Booker said Jones sent her and fellow officers a text on Friday, explaining he wasn't feeling well and would be admitting himself to the hospital.
"Then, the last thing that (Jones) had told us was that he was going to keep us posted," she said. "We want to be able to grieve, but we still have a duty to do."
Officer Malynda Jordan, a school resource officers on the West Side, said she trained Jones when he first got moved to her unit.
"Marcellus was a very vibrant soul who brought light to any room he entered. He was very humorous," Jordan said. "He was very passionate about everything that he did, and that meant a lot."
No details have been released about any celebration of life plans.
