A veteran New York Police Department officer reportedly committed suicide late Aug. 14 in his home in Laurelton, Queens. According to reports, his death marks the ninth suicide of a police officer in New York this year.
His wife had called 911 earlier in the evening to report that the 25-year-veteran had shot himself. She said that she found him on the floor with a gun on his bed, the news outlet reported.
Sources told the NY Daily News that Echeverria was a member of the Strategic Response Team, an elite group assigned to events such as mass shootings and large protests.
“We are saddened to announce that the NYPD has suffered another tragedy today with the loss of one of our officers to suicide,” the NYPD wrote to Twitter.
“To anyone who may be struggling, know that there is support available. Behind each of these resources are people that care about your well-being.”
Mayor Bill de Blasio also issued a public message following Echeverria’s death.
“To all who count a member of the [NYPD] among your loved ones, reach out and ask them how they’re feeling. It can make all the difference.”
The latest NYPD officer’s death comes just a day after another off-duty NYPD officer, Johnny Rios, 35, had reportedly shot himself in the head inside his home in Yonkers.
Law enforcement sources told the New York Daily News that the officer, who worked for the department for seven years, had left a suicide note. He shot himself around 3:30 a.m. and his fiancee was in the house at the time.
“It’s horrible that a person would be driven to that—not be able to get the help they need and feel so helpless,” said neighbor Ellen McGreevy. “I can’t imagine what drove him to that point.”
Following Rios’s death, the Police Benevolent Association of the City of New York, which represents over 50,000 active and retired New York City Police Officers, issued a public statement.
“SUICIDES: Don’t do it. It solves nothing, and you are leaving devastation behind you. Your fellow cops are under siege. The job created this monster—it won’t get better unless we stick together,” the association wrote to Twitter.
The recent spate of suicides among NYPD officers has prompted talk among leaders who now seek to address the situation.
“We’re supposed to be tough, and that’s ok, it comes with the line of work, but where’s the outlet for that,” O'Neill said, according to WABC. “You’re not gonna go home and talk about it; you’re not gonna talk to your family about that. The critical step forward here is peer support and then once we steer that person to help, that help’s effective. And they understand this is not an end to their career.”
Monahan said in a video posted after NYPD Deputy Chief Steven Silks was found dead by suicide in early June. “Your health and well-being is extremely important to all of us. We all want to make sure you take care of yourself.”
If you or someone you know in the United States is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255), text “home” to the Crisis Text Line at 741-741 or go to suicidepreventionlifeline.org.
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