Cape assistant police chief Roger Fields dies at 50

With "deep sadness" Sunday the Cape Girardeau Police Department announced the death of assistant chief Roger Fields, a news release said. He was 50.

Fields died at a local hospital from "a complex medical condition," the release said. He had served the department for 26 years, starting in April 1988, according to the release.

Fields was promoted to assistant chief Jan. 17, 2009. Before that, he was commander of the operations bureau for three years, the release said. He earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Southeast Missouri State University and graduated from the Northwestern School of Police Staff and Command in 2001, the release said.

Funeral arrangements have not been made at this time, the release said.

Public information officer Darin Hickey said Fields was well respected and rose through the ranks to his position. What he was feeling Sunday night was "shock."

"You never want to lose a close member of the police department ... family," Hickey said. "That's what we consider our department is, a family. It makes it very difficult. We're just trying to work through that; trying to remain positive for the family and everybody involved."

Hickey said Fields had a lot of friends on the force, "because he was that type of person. He was a friend to everybody."