MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- After 37 years of service, Collierville Assistant Police Chief Jeff Abeln passed away on Monday at St. Francis Hospital, officials announced. Chief Abeln joined the Collierville Police Department in 1987 and after over 20 years of service, he was appointed Assistant Chief of Administration in 2008. Jeff Abeln. (Courtesy of the Collierville Police Department.) In a post dedicated to Abeln, he was described as not just a police officer, but a "mentor, a leader, and a friend to many within the department and the community at large." Tyre Nichols’ family calls for justice in case of man killed by Louisiana state troopers “Assistant Chief Abeln gave over 37 years of honorable service to the Town of Collierville. He was a vital part of our CPD family and modeled what it meant to be a professional police officer," said Collierville Police Chief Dale Lane. "Jeff was a loving husband, proud father, and a loyal friend to many. We are all better because of his influence. Our prayers are with the Abeln family." The CPD asks that the community keep the Abeln family and police department in their thoughts during this time.