A retired Chicago police officer was found dead of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Saturday, according to the Cook County Medical Examiner's office.
According to the Chicago Sun-Times, 61-year-old James Crawford—a 29-year department veteran—retired as a lieutenant earlier this year.
At least four Chicago police officers have died by suicide in 2019.
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.
