In the United States, 140 - 150 police officers kill themselves each year--but never because of the job--say these chiefs. Instead, they blame the officer for some personal defect or, if all else fails, they blame the spouse.

 

Over the past three years, there were almost 450 police suicides (150 each year). Not a single one was attributed to the stress and trauma of the job. In lectures and interviews across the country, there is talk about how "stressful" police work is.

 

But can the horrors and nightmares of police work, the terrors of near-death experiences over ten, twenty and thirty years lead some officers to suicide? The answer is an obvious, "Yes." No one is suggesting that all police suicides are work related--of course not. But, over and over, we are seeing cases where officers have even received medals of valor for their bravery--and then seen the same event that earned them the medal devastate and kill them by suicide.

Police suicide is a line-of-duty death, and the officer must be respected and honored in the same way as those who die as a result of combat or accidents. After interviewing hundreds of police officers for my book CopShock, most of whom admitted to suicidal thoughts and some attempts, I have become enlightened. My hope is that all police chiefs and other administrators will finally recognize the obvious—trauma suffered on the job may lead to suicide.

 

Allen R. Kates, MFAW, BCECR

Author of “CopShock, Second Edition: Surviving Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)”.

Please go to: www.CopShock.com.

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Allen R. Kates, Author, CopShock

Jason Louis, Butte County CA Sheriffs K-9

J. K. Mehtani, MD, Psychiatrist, Fair Oaks Psychiatric Associates

John Warren, Bn Chief, San Mateo Fire Dept and Chair, San Mateo County CISM Team

Cynthia Stachowski, Ret. Greensboro NC Police Dept

Debbie Martin, Survivor / Steve Martin 10-30-2005 LEO

 

Daniel Cameron, Ret. California Highway Patrol

Richard Augusta, Ret. California Highway Patrol

Brian Whitley - Marriage & Family Therapist, Police and Fire Counseling

P. T. Reilly, TX, Retired State Police

Jeff Shannon, Marriage and Family Therapist

Janet Mentink, RN, FNP, PhD, University of California at Davis

Ron Clark, RN, MS, Sergeant (Ret.), Connecticut State Police

California Peer Support Association (CPSA)

PoliceWives.org

Sandra Spruiell, #2854, Ret. Las Vegas Metropolitan Police

Walt Narr, Ret. Captain, Davis Police Department, and Survivor of law enforcement suicide

Leona Narr

California Highway Patrol Officer Aaron Gilliland was presented the California Medal of Valor after suffering burns and breaking his back rescuing two people from a burning car. After lengthy emotional struggles that arose after the incident and injury, Aaron Gilliland took his own life in 2009.

 

Aaron's heroism and Medal of Valor were of little account to the California Highway Patrol as he was buried. They seemed to have forgotten that "It's not how you died that made you a hero--it's how you lived."

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Helen Ramirez, Emergency Room Tech

Marsha Burke

Donna G. Schulz, LODS Survivor, Bruce Schulz, FBI Special Agent, 2/12/49 - 03/08/1995

Andy O'Hara, Sergeant (Ret.) California Highway Patrol

Sergeant J.B. Brafford, Patrol Field Commander, UNC Charlotte Police,NC

Kathy Rillo, survivor of law enforcement suicide 2009

Richard Isaacs, retired officer

Desi Blondeel-Timmerman, in Memory of EDSO Deputy Melissa A. Meekma - EOW 12-09-2008

Gary Bush, instructor and retired police officer

Julie Love

David Black, Ph.D., Arden Psychological Services

Jason Blessing

(Chaplain) John Michael Regan, US Customs and Border Protection

Ron Clark, M.D., FACEP, Author, Surviving the Emergency Room

Field Operations Academy, Peer Support Program Manager, US Customs Service Port Director, Retired

Kim Stone

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In 1980, Toronto Police Sergeant Edward Adamson was forced to wait outside the door as heavily armed gunmen allowed another officer, pleading for his life, to bleed to death. The ensuing shootout in which he was involved added to the nightmares he had until he could stand it no more and took his own life in 2005.

 

Sergeant Adamson's death was ruled "in the line of duty" death by the workmans' compensation board. In spite of pleas from officers and the international community, the police department stubbornly refused to follow the board's decision to Sgt. Adamson's death as "In the line of duty."

Read more at The tragedy of Sergeant Edward Adamson

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Linda Adamson, wife of the late Sergeant Edward Adamson of the Toronto Police Department, who lost his life to suicide after severe PTSD suffered in his heroic efforts to rescue a dying comrade.

Julie Adamson, Police Officer and daughter of the late Sergeant Edward Adamson, a hero and victim of line of duty suicide.

Jane L Coombs, survivor of suicide

John Morgan, a good friend of Sergeant Edward Adamson--"in support of Ed and all officers who have succumbed to PTSD."

Grace Rogers, Ph.D., Psychologist

Theresa Harmon

THE TEMA CONTER MEMORIAL TRUST

Bruce C. Kruger, Detective Inspector, (retired), Ontario Provincial Police

Becky Seivwright

Jason Barkess, Cpl, Warren Co SD

Senior Police Officer Roger Roseberry

Valerie Tanguay, Sheriff's Captain

George M. Wawrykow, Ph.D., ABPP

 

Christian Child, Couples & Family Clinical Psychologist

 

Callie Chung

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I am a retired Police Sergeant and served for over 25 years. I met and married my husband, also an officer, and we had 2 beautiful children. When they were still little, my husband was working traffic and made a car stop. The end result was that the driver sped off with my husband hanging on to the window of the car for dear life. The driver grabbed his sawed off shotgun and my husband put all 6 rounds from his service revolver into the young man's chest as the vehicle was still speeding down the road.

 

My husband was always haunted by the look of that man filled with hatred, even with his heart splattered all over the windshield. My husband had no choice but to let go of the car and drop to the ground. The car ran over him and crushed both of his knee caps. That was the beginning of the end. He suffered PTSD, which was not diagnosed until after his death.

I fought the retirement board for MANY years to change my husband's death to an Industrial Death. They voted against me, even though a Workman's Comp. judge ruled it as an industrial death. I took it to Superior Court and the judge ordered the police department to change it to a work related death. My husband died on New Year's Day. (Name Withheld)

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John Jupin , MPA, Retired federal special agent (USDOL-OIG) and Criminal Justice Instructor, Lanier Technical College 

Nena Stillwell

 

Eva Tak, Ret. Lt. Richmond PD, Marriage & Family Counselor

 

Martin Lee, Deputy

Jerry Fleming Retired Clarkstown Police Department

Liane Spong Ontario Provincial Police Supervisor

Richard Gentry, Police Lieutenant, Criminal Investigtions

Fred Riddle

Jeff Dill, Counseling Services for Fire Fighters, LLC

Tim Cook, LCPC Roselle IL Police Department

Inspector John Hagen, Milwaukee, WI PD

 

Mark Kamena, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist

Clinical Director, First Responder Support Network, Inc.

Chair, California Psychological Association Division of Clinical and Professional Practice, Division 1

 

Senior Police Officer Roger Roseberry

 

Constable Wynford Austin, Bermuda Police CISM Team Coordinator

Occupational Chaplains of America

J. Mark Hall, Ph.D, Psychologist

Connecticut Alliance to Benefit Law Enforcement (CABLE) Inc. 

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Cathey Solo, surviving spouse of Gregory Allen Dixon, California Highway Patrol 7/15/1967 - 11/9/2006 and Richard Dixon, surviving brother. "It is not how they died that made them heroes--it is how they lived."

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Ray Sanchez, Police Officer

George Nielson, Chief, Placerville Police Department

Retired Peace Officers Association of California (RPOAC)

Greg Garrett, Retired Police Lieutenant

Randy Keenan, Sergeant (Ret.) Alameda, CA PD

Law Enforcement Mental Health Alliance (LEMHA)

Kay Emerson

Catherine Leon, Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Badge of Life Police Suicide Prevention Program

Alysa Cole ~ Officer's Wife~ Southern California

Vina Stephens (Former Police Officer) BA and MS Criminal Justice

Patricia Koh, Boulder Police Department, in honor of her beloved companion, Darrell K. Honza, 11-2-1955 to 10-21-2010, Scott County S.O., Shakopee, Minnesota.

Officer Mike Huwer MTPD (Ret), in memory of Officers Kent Biggs and Nick Foote, both MTPD.

Jerry and Shirley Watkins, in memory of Detective Clinton G. Watkins. "Always just a breath away, one beat of my heart." 

James W. Warriner, MC, NCC, LAC
Lieutenant, retired AZ DPS
President, Arizona Concerns of Police Survivors
(a 501c3 organization)
Surviving Co-Worker 1979 - 2009

Peter Platt, Ottawa Police officer (retired) Veterans Affairs, Canada – OSSIS Peer Helper. Disabilities Advisor, Assistance Dogs Division - Canadian Guide Dogs for the Blind.

Dr. Carl James Alaimo Sr.

 

Isabella DiGiordano, Federal Agent

Administrator of Law Enforcement Today: Supporter of Badge of Life   Katie Lincoln Please Help Missing Children Shane Carder

Detective Todd Lemmon, Peer Support Coordinator

EAP/CISM Unit, Sheriffs Office, Jacksonville, FL

 

Mel Callander, Corporal (ret., 35 years service), Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP)

 

Terry Johnson, Police Officer (31 years) Arizona Department of Public Safety

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Out-of-control police administrators drove the heroic veteran NYPD lieutenant Michael Pigott to his death. Said his wife, "They ripped his heart out." No one questions that this was a line of duty death. Will the name of this good man be remembered for his many heroic deeds?  You know the answer.

Read NYPD police suicide Michael Pigott.

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Randy Wiessinger, Deputy Sheriff, Dane County Sheriff’s Office – Madison, WI, Honor Guard Coordinator

 

Tami Hodges, CEAP, President, Public Safety EAP

Mary-Lou Senior Constable Keating, New South Wales Police

Force Highway Patrol

 

Gerald J LeFevre, Patrol Sergeant and Chaplain, Surry County Sheriff's Office, North Carolina

Edward Rostine, Patrol Officer (retired), McPherson Police Dept.

McPherson Kansas (USA)

 

MCO William Porter, Orange County Corrections, Training and Staff Development

Miriam Delgado, Police Officer, Stamford Connecticut

Sergeant Steve Hunt, Patrol Division, Idaho Falls Police Department

Lisa Houle, Deputy District Attorney, Los Angeles County