The sheriff of Anson County died unexpectedly Wednesday, the N.C. Sheriff’s Association announced in a news release.

Landric Reid served as sheriff for eight years, after running unopposed for the office in 2014, according to the sheriff’s office website.

The head of the Sheriff’s Association, Orange County Sheriff Charles Blackwood, noted his long relationship with Reid in the announcement of his death.

“Sheriff Reid and I started our tenure as sheriffs at the same time, and we attended the Sheriffs' Leadership Institute together,” Blackwood stated. “We have been close friends for the last 10 years. Our families have enjoyed time together at NCSA events and conferences.”

Reid grew up in Cabarrus County and served in the U.S. Army before taking a research job with Rhone Poulenc Agriculture Company in Research Triangle Park, according to the sheriff’s office. He later became an N.C. Highway Patrol trooper and served in the N.C. National Guard.

Blackwood did not specify a cause of death.