James Mayo, the District 2 member of the Calcasieu Parish Police Jury, died Friday night, apparently in his sleep, according to a Police Jury news release.

Mayo, 52, was serving his first term on the Police Jury; he was elected in 2011. He served as panel vice president in 2013 and was chairman of the Public Works Committee. His district includes areas in northeast Lake Charles and part of Moss Bluff.

Mayo was employed by the city of Lake Charles as assistant director of the Lake Charles Civic Center.

“This news has stunned all of us, and we will miss James a great deal,” Police Jury President Dennis Scott said in the news release. “As a Police Jury family, we are holding the Mayo family and friends in our prayers.”

Fellow Police Juror Tony Guillory, a friend of Mayo’s, said, “James was a great person. He got along well with everybody, and he and I worked closely on many things, including long-term improvements for recreation and other services in our districts.”

Under state law, the Police Jury must fill the District 2 vacancy within 20 days.(MGNonline)