A 35-year-old police officer with the New York Police Department was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Yonkers home on Tuesday morning—the eighth death by suicide on the department in 2019.
According to the New York Times, the officer—who was not immediately identified—had been with the department for seven years, and had no blemishes on his disciplinary record.
He worked in the 50th Precinct and had been temporarily assigned to a detail at Yankee Stadium.
Of the eight NYPD officer suicides in 2019, six have happened since June.
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.
