A New Jersey state trooper died during a training session to join an elite unit that is dispatched during rare emergencies, state police said Sunday night.
Marcellus Bethea, a member of Troop D at the Moorestown Station in Burlington County was training to become a TEAMs Unit member. He died while training at the state police headquarters in Ewing, Mercer County. Police have not released further information on his death; an investigation has been opened.
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Bethea had been a state trooper for eight years and was a member of the 156th Police Class.
"His commitment and passion for serving the citizens of New Jersey exemplified honor, duty, and fidelity," state police wrote on X, formerly Twitter.
The TEAMs Unit carries out rescue operations, underwater searches, counterterrorism efforts and SWAT operations. According to the state police website, prospective members must pass a physical agility test, background investigation and a "physically and mentally demanding underwater recovery course."
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy acknowledged Bethea's death by noting his early achievements with police.
"Trooper Bethea showed a passion and spark for service from a young age, participating in New Jersey State Police Trooper Youth Week while a student at Burlington Regional High School, and later graduating from the State Police Academy as part of the 156th class," Murphy wrote on X. "He embodied honor, duty, and fidelity in its highest form every day and in everything he did."