Veteran Police Officer Dies After Being Found Outside Mass. Home During Winter Storm

Officer John O'Keefe, a 16-year veteran of the Boston Police Department, died after being found outside a Canton home during Saturday's nor-easter.

News of O'Keefe's death was announced by BPD Superintendent-in-Chief Gregory Long on Sunday.

"Officer O'Keefe was a 16-year veteran of the BPD who served admirably in several assignments during his career," read a statement from Long.

"John will be greatly missed by his friends and colleagues here at the Boston Police Department as we send our heartfelt condolences to his family, and loved ones during this difficult time," Long continued.

O'Keefe was found early Saturday morning outside of a residence on Fairview Road, a spokesperson for the Norfolk District Attorney's Office tells PEOPLE.

That day, the Canton area got over 20 inches of snow and temperatures were as low as 12 degrees, according to the Boston Globe.

The officer was found by people he knew and "appeared to have been in the cold for some period," the district attorney's spokesperson tells PEOPLE. The officer was then transported to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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An autopsy was performed on Monday, but didn't "yield information suitable for dissemination at this time," the District Attorney's Office told ABC affiliate WCVB. The DA's office also noted that a cause of death did not yet appear to be clear.

The investigation is ongoing.

In a separate statement, Canton Police Chief Ken Berkowitz paid his respects to Officer O'Keefe's family.

"Our thoughts and prayers are with the deceased officer, his family, and the entire Boston Police Department," he wrote on Twitter.