Beloved Fresno County juvenile correctional officer dies while on duty | The Fresno Bee

A veteran correctional officer described as “a big man with a bigger personality” died unexpectedly Thursday while working at the Fresno County Juvenile Justice Campus Commitment Facility.

Rodney Walker collapsed due to a medical emergency just after coming in at 6 a.m. His coworkers rendered medical aid but were not able to save him. He was a senior juvenile correctional officer and had worked for Fresno County for 21 years.

Probation Division Director Kirk Haynes said of Walker: “He always had a smile on his face and a kind word for you. There are no words that can adequately express the sense of loss his friends in the department, as well as those in all of the agencies who serve the campus, feel at this time. The greater loss though is with Rodney’s family, who have lost a beloved husband, father, son, and sibling.”