Bergen County Sheriff's Office Lieutenant Dies During Charity Basketball Game

A 47-year-old Bergen County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant died Wednesday while playing a basketball charity game.

Lt. Brian Beautel of Westwood was playing in the annual “Battle of the Blue” for the Tomorrow’s Children Fund at Fairleigh Dickinson University’s Rothman Center in Hackensack when he collapsed around 7 p.m., NorthJersey.com reported. He was later pronounced dead at Hackensack University Medical Center and his cause of death was not immediately available.

In addition to being a Bergen County Sheriff’s Office lieutenant, Beautel was also a 15-year veteran of the state Department of Corrections, the midnight shift commander at the Bergen County Jail and more importantly, the father of five daughters, ranging in age from 11 to 19.

One of his daughters, Vanessa, wrote a tribute to her father that was shared on Cliffview Pilot.

“I can only hope that one day in my life that I will have touched the same number of people’s lives as my father did in his lifetime,” Vanessa Beautel said.

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