An officer with the Montebello (CA) Police Department was discovered dead in the locker room of the police department on Easter Sunday. The coroner has not yet determined if the death was an accident or a suicide.Image courtesy of Montebello Chief of Police Brad Keller / Twitter.
An officer with the Montebello (CA) Police Department was discovered dead in the locker room of the police department on Easter Sunday.
According to Fox News, 41-year-old Kenneth Utsinger was found by a fellow officer early Sunday.
Chief Brad Keller said in a statement, "It is with deep personal regret that I inform you of the passing of Officer Kenneth Utsinger."
Keller continued, "We can never prepare for losing someone so unexpectedly and we can certainly never understand why someone with so much potential and passion for public service would leave us too soon. We can ask why, only to never really ever get a true answer, since the person who holds that answer is no longer with us."
Utsinger is survived by his wife, his father, his mother, sister-in-law, and two rescue dogs that he and his wife adored.
The coroner has not yet determined if the death was an accident or a suicide.
Editor's Note: If you or someone you know has ideation of suicide or is approaching crisis, please know that the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline (1-800-273-8255), provides 24/7, free and confidential support for people in distress. Safe Call Now (1-206-459-3020) offers those services specifically for first responders.
On a website maintained by BlueH.E.L.P.—an organization that tracks officer suicides while simultaneously seeking to prevent such tragedies from occurring—a first responder need only enter a few data points—such as their location and what kind of assistance is needed—and the individual will be provided with a list of options for help from a searchable database dedicated to helping first responders find emotional, financial, spiritual, and other forms of assistance.
