The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office announced the death of Sheriff Blaise Smith on Saturday.

ST. MARY PARISH, La. (KLFY) -- The St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office announced the death of Sheriff Blaise Smith on Saturday.

In a press release from the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office, Sheriff-Elect Gary Driskell announced Sheriff Smith passed away at approximately 2:30 p.m. on Saturday. Smith had served as the St. Mary Parish Sheriff since winning a special election for the role in 2018.

Smith was a U.S. Army combat veteran having served in the Vietnam War, and accumulated 47 years of experience in law enforcement in various roles. He retired from the St. Mary Parish Sheriff's Office in December 1994 at the rank of Chief Inspector. He also served as the Chief of Police for the Chitimacha Tribal Police Department and held a Federal Commission through the Department of Interior for the Bureau of Indian Affairs.

Smith is survived by his wife Karen McGoff and their six children, fifteen grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.

SMPSO would like to remind everyone that the coming days will undoubtedly be challenging for Sheriff Smith's family, friends, and colleagues and kindly request that you respect their privacy as they navigate through their grief. More information regarding arrangements and tributes will be shared with the public in the coming days.

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