A Minnesota police office has died 24 hours after receiving a diagnosis of a brain infection. Officer Cody Siebert, 33, worked for the Babbit Police department where he began the K9 program in 2023 before joining the East Range Police Department in Hoyt Lakes and Aurora. He also served as the resident K-9 officer in the Mesabi East School District. He met his partner Karen Blais in 2022.

Prior to his death, Siebert had awakened with a severe headache that required hospitalization. Doctors at the hospital determined that a nasal infection had spread to Siebert’s brain. Within 24 hours, Siebert passed away on February 27 from the infection. He left behind Blais and their two sons: Reese, 2, and Bayne, 1.

The East Range PD announced Siebert’s passing on its Facebook. “It is with an extremely heavy heart we have to post this,” the department wrote, calling his passing “unexpected for everyone.” It described Siebert as having a “happy-go lucky personality.” “It was best said that if you couldn’t get along with Cody, it was your fault,” said the Department, acknowledging Siebert’s contribution in starting the K9 department in Babbitt. “The hole left by Sgt Siebert’s passing will be impossible to fill,” the department concluded. Siebert’s patrol car was parked outside the police station. It was decorated with a blue ribbon and the words “In memory 119.”

Mesabi East also paid tribute to Siebert on Facebook. “Cody had a remarkable gift — he saw the potential in every student. He believed in kids, even when they struggled to believe in themselves. He admired the hearts of our staff and never hesitated to show his appreciation for the work they do each day,” the school wrote. “His enthusiasm was contagious, and forming a connection with him was effortless. He made people feel seen, valued, and safe.”

A GoFundMe has been started for Siebert’s family. “​As Karen and the boys begin to navigate a future that looks very different than the one they imagined, we are reaching out to the community Cody loved so much. We want to ensure that as they adventure through life without him, they feel the same support and protection that Cody provided to others every day,” wrote the fundraisers. To date, the fund has reached over $125,000 of its $140,000 goal.