University of Alabama Employee Dies Monday, No Foul Play Suspected

A University of Alabama employee died while operating lawn equipment on Monday morning, and police do not initially suspect foul play was involved.

Captain Jack Kennedy, the commander of the Tuscaloosa Violent Crimes Unit,  confirmed that they are working on what appears to have been a medical emergency.

The Violent Crimes Unit is a team comprised of detectives from the Tuscaloosa, Northport, and University of Alabama Police Departments and the County Sheriff's Office. They forego jurisdictional boundaries and investigate almost all local deaths that occur outside of a hospital setting, as well as assault cases and sex crimes. Their involvement in a death case does not necessarily indicate suspicion of foul play.

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Kennedy said reports of a man found dead came in around 9:00 a.m. and drew a large police presence to Pinehurt Drive just off the University of Alabama Strip.

Their investigation shows a University of Alabama employee died while operating lawn equipment and there are no signs of any criminal act or other "foul play."

"In suspected non-criminal cases such as this, VCU does not normally issue statements to safeguard the privacy of the deceased and their families," Kennedy said. "An exception was made in this case due to a large social media presence and interest due to this case’s connection to the University."

A University of Alabama spokeswoman issued a statement to the Thread mourning the death of one of their employees.

"We grieve with the family, friends and colleagues of a valued member of our campus team. Out of respect for the family’s privacy, we won’t be sharing any details about his passing," the University said.