An officer with the New York Police Department died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound on Wednesday night, according to CNN.
The 53-year-old officer was a 24-year NYPD veteran who was on vacation at the time of his death.
The death of this officer is the fourth death by suicide for the NYPD in the span of just a month.
Earlier this month, NYPD Police Commissioner James O'Neill reached out to officers via Twitter with an appeal to encourage them to seek mental health treatment if they begin to contemplate suicide.
"This is a mental-health crisis. And we—the NYPD and the law enforcement profession as a whole—absolutely must take action," O'Neill said. "Seeking help is never a sign of weakness—it's a sign of great strength."
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.
