Crime & Safety
Queens Cop Dies By Suicide, The Ninth This Year
A police officer was found dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Laurelton home Wednesday evening, police and reports said.
LAURELTON, QUEENS — A police officer died in an apparent suicide in his Queens home on Wednesday, just a day after a cop in The Bronx became the eighth NYPD officer to die by suicide so far this year.
Officer Robert Echeverria, a 25-year veteran of the NYPD, died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his Laurelton home just before 6:20 p.m. Aug. 14, according to NBC New York.
Echeverria was part of the NYPD's elite Strategic Response Group, which handles mass shootings, the New York Daily News reported.
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The NYPD announced the officer's death on Twitter, with a message for other officers to reach out for help if they needed it.
We are saddened to announce that the NYPD has suffered another tragedy today with the loss of one of our officers to suicide. 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. pic.twitter.com/1rYN9mmdUJ
— NYPD NEWS (@NYPDnews) August 15, 2019
Just a day earlier, on Aug. 13, a police officer in The Bronx died of self-inflicted wounds.
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Last month the department announced plans to launch a peer counseling program as part of an effort to improve cops' access to mental-health resources.
Anyone struggling with mental health can get help by calling National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255 or visiting this website. New Yorkers can also find resources by calling 1-888-NYC-WELL.
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