Capitol Police officer dies while volunteering at church

A nearly ten-year veteran of the Capitol Police force died last week while volunteering at a Maryland church.

Officer Brian Dowell, age 45, was replacing a steeple at Potter Place Church in St. Leonard, Md. Thursday afternoon when he lost his footing on a ladder.

Dowell fell 17 feet, according to local news reports. He was transported to Calvert Memorial Hospital in Prince Frederick, where he later died from his injuries.

Dowell joined the Capitol Police in 2002, and was most recently assigned to the Patrol Mobile Response Division, department spokeswoman Kimberly Schneider told The Hill.

In addition to his Capitol Police duties, Dowell also assisted Maryland authorities in apprehending a bank robber. In September, an off-duty Dowell responded to a panic alarm at a bank in Dunkirk. There he aided in the capture of a suspect demanding money from a teller, local news outlets reported.

This story has been updated.

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