Officer Suicide

Just received the following email written at 1346 todays date by Charlotte-Mecklenburg police chief:

I am deeply saddened to inform you of the tragic death of a member of the CMPD family. One of our officers failed to show up for work this morning. When his supervisor couldn't reach him by phone he checked his home. The officer was found deceased in his home this morning, apparently the victim of a suicide by hanging.
Identification of the officer and other details are being withheld pending notification of family."


Lets remember this officer's family & CMPD in our thoughts & prayers.

Prayers sent and may he rest in eternal peace.

Dreadful and very upsetting...

RIP brother....

1456 1May
Add. update:
The officers name is Ephraim Jones age 35 a 10 year veteran of the dept. He has been assigned to the recruiting division as a recruiting officer since 2001. Prior to that he was assigined to patrol. He was single. His family, who live in Va. have been notified."

Again thank you for all your thoughts & prayers.

Suicide rate is high in this job...

Condolences to his family and the department he worked for. May he rest in peace.

That is so heartbreaking. Why don't they seek help? There should be some kind of confidential hotline that they could call or something when they are at that desperate stage. But would he have made use of it? Shit that is horrible. He is in my prayers as well.:(

Thats what the staff psychologists are for.

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Originally Posted by Daynathepayna

That is so heartbreaking. Why don't they seek help? There should be some kind of confidential hotline that they could call or something when they are at that desperate stage. But would he have made use of it? Shit that is horrible. He is in my prayers as well.:(

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People that commit suicide rarely do it over big events in their lives and it's almost always a spur of the moment action.

Depression is obviously the big reason and many times alcohol or drugs are involved in conjuction with what else is going on. Six officers ate their guns on my dept while I was working and I know alcohol was a factor in at least 5 and maybe the sixth.

One suicide I was called on was an elderly lady who jumped headfirst from here 4th story balcony because she misplaced a 20 dollar bill. Another was the son of another detective who swallowed rat poison because his car wouldn't start.

Suicide hotlines, staff pyschologists and so forth are great for people who are having mental problems. I've used our pschologist more than I care to admit, but none of that is going to prevent most suicides. People that are serious about it aren't looking for someone to talk them out of it. To them, it seems to be the logical step in a series of events in their life.

When I was young, hitting the bottle hard and having marital problems, one morning I was too hungover to go to work. For the first time in my life, suicide seemed like the thing to do. Looking back on it, it was of course dumb as hell, but at that moment...... I was trying to make sure I got the brainstem when my then wife came home. She got me into alcohol treatment and the rest is history. But I completely understand now why people don't ask for help. And cops are horrible about asking for help from anyone, anytime.

^ sad but true.

Rest Easy Brother..

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Originally Posted by Daynathepayna

That is so heartbreaking. Why don't they seek help? There should be some kind of confidential hotline that they could call or something when they are at that desperate stage. But would he have made use of it? Shit that is horrible. He is in my prayers as well.:(

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I am going to post the following url:
www.tearsofacop.com

This is a quote from one of his co workers, "I thought I was a friend to him. Everyone in the unit thought we were his friends. Some of us know Jesus as our Lord & would have gladly prayed with him. We would have listened, encouraged, lifted up & prayed it through."

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Originally Posted by Retdetsgt

People that commit suicide rarely do it over big events in their lives and it's almost always a spur of the moment action.

Depression is obviously the big reason and many times alcohol or drugs are involved in conjuction with what else is going on. Six officers ate their guns on my dept while I was working and I know alcohol was a factor in at least 5 and maybe the sixth.

One suicide I was called on was an elderly lady who jumped headfirst from here 4th story balcony because she misplaced a 20 dollar bill. Another was the son of another detective who swallowed rat poison because his car wouldn't start.

Suicide hotlines, staff pyschologists and so forth are great for people who are having mental problems. I've used our pschologist more than I care to admit, but none of that is going to prevent most suicides. People that are serious about it aren't looking for someone to talk them out of it. To them, it seems to be the logical step in a series of events in their life.

When I was young, hitting the bottle hard and having marital problems, one morning I was too hungover to go to work. For the first time in my life, suicide seemed like the thing to do. Looking back on it, it was of course dumb as hell, but at that moment...... I was trying to make sure I got the brainstem when my then wife came home. She got me into alcohol treatment and the rest is history. But I completely understand now why people don't ask for help. And cops are horrible about asking for help from anyone, anytime.

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Heartbreaking news. Rest in peace, Officer Jones.

Very brave of you to share your experience, RetDetSgt.

Is there any truth then to the theory that there are signs that people send out indicating that they are planning take their lives? Is there anyway to intervene and prevent them from killing themselves? I suppose if you managed to stop a person at one point but he/she were determined, they would kill themselves eventually regardless. :(
Here is a list of signs that someone may be suicidal: Source:http://dying.about.com/od/suicide/a/suicide_signs.htm

If you have a loved one or friend that you think may be suicidal it is imperative to recognize the warning signs of suicide. While each person is an individual and will exhibit signs of depression and suicidal thought in their own way, there are several warnings signs that you can watch for that may indicate they are in crisis. If you believe someone is contemplating suicide please get help immediately. There are a number of suicide prevention web sites and hotlines available to help those in need which can be accessed at the bottom of this article.

1. Talking about suicide or death.- Do not take statements about wanting to die or "ending it all" lightly. Seek help immediately. Even if they are not seriously considering suicide, statements like these indicate that a person is in need of help and is reaching out.

2. Withdrawing from friends and family. - Loss of interest in friends and family can be a sign of depression or suicidal thought. A person contemplating suicide may withdraw to spend more and more time alone. They may become despondent or angry when loved ones try to intervene.

3. Sudden behavioral changes. - A sudden and marked change in behavior may indicate that a person is suffering from depression, mental illness or suicidal thought. This can include a change in attitude, thinking, appearance or interpersonal relationships. In some cases the changes can be gradual as well.

4. Wanting to "tie up loose ends" or give away belongings. - This can include calling old friends and relatives to say goodbye. Giving away personal belongings or pets to others or wanting to secure care for children is a serious warning sign that a person may be considering suicide very soon.

5. Reckless behavior. - Engaging in behavior such as heavy alcohol and drug use, driving recklessly, starting fights or taking excessive risks.

6. Withdrawing from regular activities. - Suddenly quitting or loosing interest in regular and extracurricular activities such as school, work, sports teams, clubs, church, volunteer duties, or hobbies.

7. Sudden change in sleeping patterns or eating habits. - Watch for sudden weight fluctuations or a marked increase or decrease in the amount of sleep a person is getting.

If you or someone you love is thinking of committing suicide please seek immediate professional help. There are many caring professionals and trained peers that are available to listen and talk about feelings of loneliness, depression or suicide.

Here is a link for additional resources for those that may feel suicidal or if you know someone who may be feeling suicidal.

Quote:

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If your thinking about suicide read this first.

Start by considering this statement:

“Suicide is not chosen; it happens
when pain exceeds
resources for coping with pain.”

You can survive suicidal feelings if you do either of two things: (1) find a way to reduce your pain, or (2) find a way to increase your coping resources. Both are possible.

"Reprinted with permission. Suicide: Read This First (http://www.metanoia.org/suicide) was written by Martha Ainsworth based on work by David Conroy, Ph.D. To talk with a caring listener about your suicidal feelings, in the U.S. call 1-800-SUICIDE any time, day or night. Online, send an anonymous e-mail to jo@samaritans.org for confidential and non-judgmental help, or visit http://www.samaritans.org."

http://www.metanoia.org/suicide/spagebw.htm

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I can't remember a relative or a friend of a suicide victim who said, "I was afraid of something like this" or anything like that. Everyone is shocked by it and just about always feels guilt because they never saw any warning signs. A lot of family members, especially when it's a teenager, refuse to believe it was suicide and want to believe it was murder. That's compounded by the fact there are often "hesitation" shots where the first time the person pulls the trigger of a gun, they jerk it away at the last minute. That's not uncommon.

I'd like to see some stats sometime re: the number of people who actually seek help and then later commit suicide. I bet the number is pretty low.

When the put in a new freeway bridge here, we had a rash of calls on people threatening to jump. They would step over the traffic barricade and stand on a ledge. Early on, I started walking up to them, never saying a word and just grabbing them and jerking them back over the barricade. Inevitably, they would be angry at me because I didn't try to talk them out of it first. I guess I didn't follow the story line, but I found that by doing that, they were so surprised that my actions weren't out of a movie, they stood there until I got a hold of them.

I guess my theory is that people who do contact hotlines and such are certainly in need of help, but I don't think they're really serious about suicide or they would have done it. I know in my case, I was a thought, then action. From the tens of successful suicides I've seen, I think that's generally the route they follow. Not reaching out and then later doing it.

The people that do plan it are usually people who have a terminal disease. They are the ones who give away pets, etc. The depressed person probably can't think that far ahead. It's a very self centered act and really takes no one else into consideration. Because at the time, the need is so overpowering that all else is unimportant.

Successful suicide attempts usually occur the first time. Those are the ones that RDS is refering to. Those are the ones I've seen with vomit and drano coming out of their mouth, their heads splattered on the wall, their bodies bobbing in the water or splattered on the ground or hanging from a rope.

Unfortunately the above persons don't seem to send signals of intent. A good friend of mine was going through a divorce and some other issues. I saw him on a sunday afternoon. On monday he blew his brains out. He seemed "normal" when I talked with him the day before he committed suicide.

Those that call and threaten suicide usually are looking for attention or asking for help and will probably not go through with the action. (This does not mean that signals, signs, or statements should be ignored).

My thoughts and prayers for the officer and his family.