NEWHALL (CBSLA) — California Highway Patrol officer Jeremiah Hart has died of COVID-19, the department said Tuesday. He was 44 years old.

Hart died Sunday from complications of COVID-19, the CHP said. He was a 12-year veteran of the CHP most recently assigned to the Newhall-area office. Hart also served in the CHP's Antelope Valley and Oakhurst areas.

Gov. Gavin Newsom said flags at the Capitol would flown at half-staff in his honor.

"The death of a dedicated law enforcement hero is a painful and real reminder of the risks these women and men face every day protecting the people of California," Newsom said in a statement.

Hart is survived by his children Timothy, Courtney, and Ezekiel, parents, and six siblings.