HILLSBORO, Mo. — The chief of the Jefferson College Police Department died from COVID-19 late last week.
Chief Don Riffe died last Thursday after an extended stay in the hospital due to an ongoing battle with COVID-19, a spokesman for the college said. Riffe was 59.
The spokesman said Riffe had been the chief of the department since 2018 and was also a firearms instructor for the college's law enforcement academy.
Funeral arrangements have not been set.
"We are devastated to lose such an important member of the College family," said Roger Barrentine, the director of public relations and marketing for Jefferson College. "Our entire campus is grieving, knowing that Don was a true professional in every sense of the word. His absence within the Jefferson College Police Department and Law Enforcement Academy will be felt by many. Our hearts go out to his family as they mourn his passing."
The BackStoppers Inc. said it is assisting Riffe's family. A press release from The BackStoppers said he leaves behind three adult children. The release also said he served as a special agent with the United States Army Investigation Division for more than 30 years.
In the same press release, The BackStoppers said it is also assisting the family of Festus Fire Chief Kevin Cremer, who died from COVID-19 on Monday.
“My deepest condolences are being sent to the many lives that Chief Don Riffe and Chief Kevin Cremer touched," BackStoppers Executive Director Ron Battelle said. "These men dedicated their hearts and lives to the people they served, and they will never be forgotten.”
