A Los Angeles County sheriff's sergeant died after an initial medical emergency in Compton on Monday morning.

Nearly 5:30 AM authorities rushed the sergeant to St. Francis Medical Center after a citizen reported that the deputy slumped over and unresponsive in his patrol car. The sergeant had been found in his car on Wilmington Avenue and Myrrh Street, which is not far from the Compton Station.

The department identified the deputy as Sgt. Al Lopez, 47 years old.

Authorities said that the sergeant had left the station to provide help in a stolen vehicle chase, but it had been called off shortly because of the weather before he left the parking lot.

Lopez drove his vehicle out of the parking lot, his vehicle had been found crashed into a fence headed a block down the street.

The sergeant, a 27 year veteran, had been initially told in critical condition, was pronounced dead after arriving in Hospital.

Sheriff Jim McDonnell said that Lopez was a great sergeant and person. He added that it was another tragedy for the sheriff's department.

Authorities said that an autopsy would be conducted to determine Lopez's cause of death. Lopez has been survived by his wife and children.

He spent many years with the department in the special victims unit on child sexual assault cases and had been transferred to the Compton station a year ago.

His fellow deputies escorted his body out with an American flag draped over it from the hospital to the coroner's office. Others saluted their fallen friend as he had been taken to the coroner's van.

By Prakriti Neogi