Jennings police mourn death of sheriff's deputy

VERNON — A 25-year-old Jennings County police officer died Saturday morning at his home.

“The Jennings County Sheriff’s Office and the entire law enforcement community of Jennings County is mourning the loss of one of our young officers today,” Sheriff Steve Hoppock said of Deputy Mark Jeffries.

An autopsy was scheduled today, but Maj. Jerry Shepherd said foul play is not suspected.

At 9:42 a.m. Saturday, officers responded to a 911 call on County Road 250 East. Officers arrived at Jeffries’ residence and found him unresponsive. Officers began CPR until EMS arrived and Jeffries was taken to St. Vincent Jennings Hospital emergency room in North Vernon.

Emergency room staff continued to attempt to revive Jeffries until 11:30 a.m., but all attempts to revive him failed, Hoppock said.

Jeffries began his career with the sheriff’s office in February 2008 and was assigned to night shift patrol. He was a 2009 graduate of the Indiana Law Enforcement Academy and an active member of the U.S. Coast Guard Water Rescue Team.

Jeffries previously worked for the Jennings County 911 dispatch center and was also a jail officer for the Brown County Sheriff’s Department in Nashville.

Funeral arrangements were incomplete at Pickett-Sawyer Funeral Home in North Vernon.