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Bethea, 33, had been training to join the TEAMS Unit, an emergency response unit "prepared to handle extra ordinary police emergencies," the NJSP website says.
He died on Sunday, May 5. Gov. Phil Murphy said he died at headquarters in Ewing. It was not immediately clear how.
According to his obituary, Bethea was born in Edison and grew up in Columbus, having graduated from Northern Burlington Regional High School in 2009 and Rowan University in 2013.
He was remembered as a devoted husband to his wife, Katarzyna, a loving dad to their daughter, Bella.
Bethea, of Florence, worked in Troop D at the Moorestown station and was an eight-year NJSP veteran and was a member of the 156th State Police Class.
"Throughout his career, Marcellus exemplified courage, integrity, and selflessness, earning the respect and admiration of his colleagues and the community he served," his obituary on the Bordentown Home for Funerals website says. "His commitment to duty and unwavering dedication to public safety not only left an enduring impact on all who knew him but also made his community a safer place."
A Mass of Christian Burial will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 15, at Mary Mother of the Church Parish in Bordentown. Visitation will be held Tuesday, May 14 from 3 p.m. to 7 p.m., and Wednesday from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m., at the church. Burial will follow at Holy Assumption Cemetery, Roebling NJ.
The Troopers United Inc. Foundation is raising funds for Bethea's wife and daughter.
"His commitment and passion for serving the citizens of New Jersey exemplified honor, duty, and fidelity," NJSP Col. Patrick Callahan said.
"State troopers, and other members of law enforcement, enter their profession knowing its risks but put themselves on the line because they believe in serving the residents of our state," Platkin said. "We owe Trooper Bethea our deepest gratitude and can honor his memory by living our lives with his same reverence for honor, duty, and fidelity."
Click here for Marcellus Bethea's complete obituary on the Boredentown Home for Funerals website.
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