An off-duty Chicago police officer was found dead in her home Tuesday morning, making her the third officer who has died within a week and the second to die by apparent suicide.
The 35-year-old officer who worked in the Central District was found unresponsive inside a residence in the Grand Central District, police spokesman Tom Ahern said. She worked for CPD for five years. She appeared to have a self-inflicted gunshot wound, and a death investigation was underway.
Advertisement
“Anytime we lose an officer it’s a stark reminder of the demands of the job and the sacrifices that are made by officers every day,” Ahern said. “The superintendent always underscores how important mental health is for officers. … We always want to keep their families in our thoughts and prayers.”
Her death comes after a 45-year-old male officer was found unresponsive in a residence in the Jefferson Park District Monday morning, Ahern said. His cause of death is pending with the Cook County medical examiner’s officer.
Advertisement
An inactive CPD officer was found with an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound in her home last week, a police spokesperson said. She had reportedly been inactive for over a decade before her death.
She was pronounced dead in her residence at the 6200 block of North Northwest Highway, police said.
More than a dozen Chicago police officers have taken their own lives since 2018, according to records and city officials.
In July, two Chicago police officers and one sergeant died by suicide.
The July deaths led to calls for better mental health care for police and criticism of long shifts and leave policies. After a late August report showed at least 1,000 officers had worked 11 or more consecutive days during the spring, police Superintendent David Brown announced that the department would implement new rules to help cops take time off.
