A Minnesota police sergeant and father of two died less than 24 hours after doctors diagnosed him with a brain infection. He left behind a young family and a stunned community.
Sergeant Cody Siebert, a K9 officer with the East Range Police Department, died Feb. 27, the department announced. He was remembered as a devoted father, loyal colleague and a fixture in the small northern Minnesota community he served.
Siebert, along with his police dog Taconite, helped launch the K9 program in Babbitt, Minnesota, before later joining the East Range Police Department.
“Sergeant Siebert was known for his cheerful personality,” the department wrote in a tribute on Facebook. “The best you could say was that if you didn’t get along with Cody, it was your fault.”
“The hole left by Sergeant Siebert’s passing will be impossible to fill,” the department added.
A GoFundMe page launched by Siebert’s family raised more than $107,000 Tuesday evening. He is survived by his life partner, Karen Blais, and their two sons, ages 1 and 2.
“Knowing Cody meant having a friend. He had a rare gift for connection – when you met him, you knew you were in for a real conversation. He truly enjoyed people, and his absence leaves a void in our community that will be felt by many,” his family wrote on the fundraising page.
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Sergeant Cody Siebert, a K9 officer with the East Range Police Department in Minnesota, died on February 27, less than 24 hours after he was diagnosed with a brain infection. (East Range Police Department)
Blais said The Minnesota Star Tribune that Siebert woke up last week with a headache that had started the day before. He was hospitalized and doctors determined that an infection in his nasal cavity had spread to his brain, the newspaper said.
“He loved people, being in that position and being able to help people in general,” his brother Brandon Siebert told the outlet. “Not just catching the bad guys, going to school, contacting people.”
The tragedy comes just months after another loss in the extended family. According to the Star Tribune, Siebert’s sister-in-law, Alyssa Siebert, died of a brain aneurysm last October.
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Sergeant Cody Siebert poses with his K9 partner, Taconite, and Chief Tim Soular. (East Range Police Department)
“We are in a déjà vu of an unusual situation,” said his other sister-in-law, Ashley Siebert. “They both helped others all the time. They were both great people. They did more than most 30-year-olds do in their lifetime.”
Like his sister-in-law, Siebert donated his organs, the newspaper reported.
The East Range Police Department in Minnesota announced the unexpected death of Sgt. Cody Siebert on February 27. (East Range Police Department)
Mesabi East Schools also paid tribute, remembering Siebert as someone who saw the potential in every student.
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“The impact he had on our students and staff cannot be measured. He was not only our K9 officer, he was a mentor, a role model, a friend and a steady, positive presence in our Giants community,” the school district wrote.
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