Georgia deputy dies during physical fitness exam

James Wallace

Credit: Augusta Chronicle

Credit: Augusta Chronicle

James Wallace

A Georgia deputy died Thursday after suffering a heart attack during a physical fitness exam, officials said.

James Wallace, 61, was taking the Richmond County sheriff’s annual physical fitness assessment when he had the heart attack, the sheriff’s office said.

“Deputies at the scene performed CPR until EMS arrived,” according to a Facebook post on the agency’s Facebook page.

Wallace was taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead about 1 p.m. He’d been with the sheriff’s office since November 2010.

“Everyone at the sheriff’s office mourns the loss of Deputy Wallace with his family and friends and we offer them our deepest condolences,” Capt. Allan Rollins said in a statement.

Wallace was the second Richmond sheriff’s employee to die this week. Investigator Christian Gandy, who was off-duty, was killed Tuesday when he hit a deer and was thrown from his motorcycle.

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