A Chicago police sergeant died Sunday following an apparent suicide attempt on Saturday, a police spokesman said.
The sergeant was off-duty when he suffered a gunshot wound and was taken to Christ Medical Center in Oak Lawn, according to police spokesman Tom Ahern.
“The Chicago Police Department is mourning the loss of the off-duty sergeant who succumbed to his injuries today,” the department said in a statement. “We ask that the city wrap its arms around this sergeant’s loved ones as they mourn his loss. Please also take a moment to pray for the men and women of CPD, who are grieving alongside this sergeant’s family.”
Only a day earlier, Officer Durand Lee, 42, was found dead inside his home on the Near South Side, officials said. The Cook County medical examiner’s office ruled his death a suicide on Saturday.
“It’s extremely difficult hearing news like this over and over again,” CPD Officer Michael Carroll wrote on Twitter after Lee’s death. “The pressure of the job is more than regular people know and cops need to be better at letting others know that they need help, need a hand, they need to talk.”
Earlier this month, another police officer died by suicide. She was identified as Officer Patricia Swank, 29.
More than a dozen suicides have been reported in the CPD since 2018. A 2017 Justice Department report found the department’s suicide rate was 60% higher than the nationwide average for officers.
The city provides counseling services to employees and their families through the Employee Assistance Program, which can be reached at (312) 743-0378.
The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline offers help around the clock for people in crisis at (800) 273-8255.
