PF Police officer dies from heart attack

A Post Falls Police officer died from a heart attack Sunday after he was found unconscious in his police vehicle.

Post Falls Police reported that after completing a call for service at 4:40 p.m., Officer Nicholas McDaniel failed to respond to a status check from the police communications center. Officers were dispatched to McDaniel’s last known location, where they found him slumped over the steering wheel.

Officers on scene immediately started CPR until Kootenai County Fire and Rescue arrived on scene and transported McDaniel to Kootenai Health, where he was pronounced deceased. The cause of death was determined to be a massive heart attack.

McDaniel, 36, worked for the Post Falls Police Department for a little under a year, with 13 years previously served in Hawaii.

Post Falls Police thanked surrounding law enforcement, fire and medical agencies, as well as the local community, for their unwavering support while the department mourns the loss of a family member. Post Falls Police also asked for community members to keep McDaniel’s fiancé and children in their thoughts and prayers as they cope with the loss of their loved one.

“We are proud of the time that Officer McDaniel gave serving our citizens and fellow colleagues at the city of Post Falls," Mayor Ron Jacobson said in a news release. "There are no words that can make this loss easier to bear for Officer McDaniel’s family and colleagues. As a city, we mourn Officer McDaniel’s death deeply and our thoughts and prayers are with his family, friends and colleagues.”