For the ninth time this year, the NYPD is mourning the loss of one of its own after an officer in Queens committed suicide at his home in Laurelton.
NYPD Commissioner James O'Neill is calling the deaths a mental health crisis after the ninth NYPD officer this year, seventh since June and the second this week, took his own life.
NYPD Officer Robert Echeverria, 56, took his own life at his home in Queens Wednesday night. He was off duty at the time. When he was found he was rushed to a hospital on Long Island, but he did not make it.
Officer Echeverria, a 25-year veteran in the NYPD, died from self-inflicted gunshot wounds.
Mayor Bill de Blasio tweeted about the officer’s death saying, "Tonight our city mourns a tragedy. We won’t let anyone struggle alone. I want every one of New York’s finest to know we are here for you. We value you. Help is available. Please reach out."
Brooklyn Borough President Eric Adams also issued a statement saying, "We are losing members of New York's finest to this epidemic faster than we can count, and we need to address it immediately. I know from personal experience how powerful meditation can be for those grappling with trauma. I, along with the PBA, am calling on Mayor de Blasio and Commissioner O’Neill to implement training for officers on meditation and mindfulness practices, the same way we train them to use weapons."