Los Angeles County Sheriff's Sgt. Brian Stover, a 31-year law enforcement veteran and POLICE Magazine Advisory Board member, has died.

Stover, 59, died early Monday from stage-four melanoma with his family present. Stover had filed for retirement effective Tuesday.

Prior to joining the LASD, Stover served with state, county and municipal police agencies in Illinois. He had been involved in training officers since 1978.

His areas of expertise included officer survival, firearms, less-lethal weapons, defensive tactics, baton and use of force. He was a court-recognized expert in baton use, firearms training, and use of force. He had appeared on television as a use-of-force expert.

Stover was a long-time member of POLICE's Advisory Board and served as a vital resource along with 22 other members. He also took Editor David Griffith on his first ride-along in December 2001.

"I was newly hired as editor of Police Magazine, and I was looking for guidance from veteran officers," Griifth said. "Brian extended his hand in friendship and showed me the ropes on a chilly night in Carson, Calif. I ran into Brian many times during the last 12 years, and he was always smiling. He was a squared-away officer and a genuinely nice human being. My condolences to his family and his many, many friends."