ROME, Ga. — The Georgia Department of Natural Resources is mourning the loss of a longtime law enforcement official.
Sgt. Ben Cunningham, a 27-year veteran of the department, died after a possible medical episode while on duty in Rome, according to the DNR. The incident occurred while Cunningham was participating in a division physical fitness program.
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Cunningham served as a supervisor in Region I in northwest Georgia. In that role, he was responsible for overseeing game wardens serving Walker, Dade, Chattooga and Floyd counties.
Cunningham began his career with the department in August 1999 within the Wildlife Resources Division. He transferred to DNR Law Enforcement in Dec. 2006 before his position to corporal in 2017 and sergeant in March 2021.
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Cunningham taught cadets at the Game Warden Academy as a firearms instructor and wildlife instructor. The DNR says he also mentored officers as a field training instructor, served as a leader with the DNR Peer Support Team and contributed to statewide succession training.
Georgia DNR Commissioner Walter Rabon praised Cunningham’s dedication to the agency and offered condolences to his family.
“Sergeant Cunningham was more than a fellow officer and colleague; he was a friend and a valued member of the DNR family. His sudden passing is heartbreaking and my thoughts are with everyone who had the privilege of knowing him. Most of all, my prayers are with his wife, Starr, daughter, Addy and his entire family as they face this unimaginable loss,” Rabon said.
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