Four former and current Harris County Sheriff’s Office (HCSO) deputies have tragically lost their lives by committing suicide just in the span of six weeks.
These deaths have raised alarms and questions as to whether the mental health of law enforcement officers (LEOs) is being well taken care of or not.
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TW: This article contains depictions or discussions of suicide and may be triggering to some readers.
First responders and LEOs are not as fortunate
The US Fire Administration released a report in 2023 that stated that between 2015 and 2017, first responders made up one percent of all suicides in the US. Not only this but also the fact that 58 percent of those were LEOs.
Not a few have tragically taken their lives away
ABC News obtained a paper in 2024, stating that 1,287 LEOs and correction officers had sadly committed suicide between 2016 and 2022.
In addition, Over half (51%) of the LEOs’ deaths that were by suicide involved ones from local police departments, while 20% were from sheriff’s offices.
HCSO Deputies who have committed suicide
Firstly, there was HCSO Deputy Christina Kohler, 37, who had a Houston Regional CLEAR Alert issued to find her on March 13 as she had been missing since March 12.
Officers believed that she posed a “credible threat to her own health and safety,” and their concerns were rightfully placed. It was later announced that she died on the day she was reported missing.
There was also HCSO Deputy Maria Vasquez
Vasquez’s cause of death was announced and confirmed by the Medical Examiner’s Office last week within days of Kohler’s death, which was also suicide. The 42-year-old was found dead in her home in Houston.
And there were two ex-deputies
According to ABC 13 Eyewitness News, former deputy William Bozeman was found dead by suicide under similar circumstances as Kohler and Vasquez.
Finally, according to the medical examiner, former HSCO debut Long Nguyen, 58, had also died by suicide on February 26.
What can they do to make things better?
The director of the Trauma and Resilience Center at UTHealth Houston, Dr. Ron Acierno, is trying to kill the stigma surrounding officers acquiring the mental help they need. The Trauma and Resilience Center provides Texan first responders with the mental health support they need.
Additionally, Dr. Thomas McNeese, the director of the Harris County Sheriff’s Office Behavioral Health Division, talked about how the profession could take its toll on its workers, and that it can “change” people over time.
If you or someone you know needs help, please call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
