The Tulsa Police Department is mourning after losing one of its own to cancer.
TPD Detective William Hays died Jan. 24 at the age of 39. He is survived by his wife and three children.
Hays was born in Sapulpa and graduated from Mounds High School in 2001. He served in the U.S. Marine Corps from 2006-2010 as an aviation technician.
Hays earned the Iraq Campaign Medal and Global War on Terrorism Service Medal and was deployed to Iraq as part of Operation Iraqi Freedom in 2009.
Hays went on to earn a bachelor's degree in criminal justice at Oklahoma State University in 2010. He joined TPD in 2011 and was assigned patrol in all three divisions.
TPD says Hays had a passion for helping children throughout his career. In 2017, Will was assigned as a detective to the Child Crisis Unit.
TPD held a procession to honor Hays Friday morning.