Maryland State Trooper Elijah Cohen Dies At 29

NORTH EAST, MD — A state trooper died from a medical-related illness over the weekend at a hospital in Baltimore, police said.

Trooper First Class Alec Elijah Cohen had been found unresponsive at his home in Baltimore County on Friday, Sept. 17, according to authorities.

Cohen was admitted to the intensive care unit at Sinai Hospital, where he was in critical condition until he succumbed to the illness, which police did not specify, at 11:35 a.m. Saturday. His body was taken to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner for an autopsy to determine the cause of death, officials said.

Cohen was 29.

He had been a member of Maryland State Police for four and half years. At the time of his death, the trooper was assigned to the North East Barrack in Cecil County.

"This is a significant loss for the Maryland State Police family," police said in a statement Sunday, Sept. 19. "Our heartfelt condolences go out to Trooper First Class Cohen’s family and loved ones. TFC Cohen will always be remembered for his extraordinary commitment, selfless service and unwavering dedication to the citizens of this state as a Maryland State Trooper."

Cohen graduated from Northeastern University in Boston with a master's degree in criminal justice before joining the 146th class of Maryland State Police, officials said.

"He was proud of his job and his MSP family," Cohen's family said in a statement to police. "Maryland State Police fulfilled his lifelong dream for public service and law enforcement."