LOUISVILLE, Ky. — Friends are remembering the life of a Louisville Metro Police officer who died after a medical emergency while off-duty on Wednesday.
Former LMPD Officer Eric Johnson said he still remembers the first time he met officer Mark Kordis in the early 1990s. Then, they were two young men eager to serve their community.
"Mark and I went through the police academy together. We got to know each other as you do over that many months," Johnson said.
That journey later lead to a lifelong brotherhood between the two.
"You learn to depend on one another. And Mark was somebody you could depend on," Johnson said. "You knew he wasn't afraid. He wasn't going to back down. He was a pretty solid police officer."
Even after the friends went separate ways, Johnson says he and officer Kordis still kept touch. This made news about Kordis' death even more surprising.
"I was shocked. We talked occasionally. I ran into him often. It was like nothing had changed. We were like the days we were still working together, "Johnson said.
Since Kordis' death, there has been an outpouring of love, which Johnson said is a testament to who Kordis was. He said Kordis will truly be missed, not only by the community and his loved ones, but by his brothers and sisters in blue.
"Mark was an onion, and you had to peel back layer, after layer, after layer. But once you got to the real person, he had a heart of gold," Johnson said. "We've saw him in so many times in very difficult situations, do what needed to be done. He was a very good police officer and a very good man."
LMPD hired Kordis in October of 1991, and he had retired once Police spokesperson Dwight Mitchell. Kordis was rehired back in March 2017, and his most current assignment was the 5th Division.
In a statement Michell said, "We are asking the community to pray for the family of Officer Kordis as well as the officers and members of the LMPD during this difficult time."
Funeral arrangements for the late officer are still pending.
If you want to help the Kordis family, you can donate here.
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