BATON ROUGE - A recently retired member of the Baton Rouge Police Department passed away suddenly Sunday. 

BRPD said Lieutenant Mike Godawa, a 27-year-veteran of the police department, retired in the final days of July. He most recently served as a shift lieutenant in the Uniform Patrol Division and was also a BRPD Firearms Instructor. 

Chief Murphy Paul stated, “In wake of this tragic loss, I want to remind all of the seriousness of COVID-19. With recent increases of cases throughout the nation and mandates put back in place for precautionary measures. I encourage all, regardless of their vaccination status, to continue to wear face coverings, take necessary hygiene measures, and to practice social distancing on a consistent basis.”

Funeral arrangements have not been finalized yet.