Houston police sergeant with 21 years on the force 'commits suicide by shooting himself in the head' in his patrol station

  • A Houston cop's body was found Friday morning at Westside Patrol Station
  • The officer, a 21-year veteran, shot himself in the head, the chief of police said
  • His body was discovered at 8.35am on the fourth floor of the station
  • The officer's colleagues searched the building when he didn't show up for work
  • Houston police chief says the officer leaves behind a wife and two young kids
  • It is estimated that between 100-150 police officers commit suicide each year 

By Ariel Zilber For Dailymail.com

Published: 17:08 EDT, 31 March 2017 | Updated: 17:55 EDT, 31 March 2017

A 21-year veteran of the Houston Police Department committed suicide inside a patrol station on Friday, the city’s police chief said.

The sergeant, who has not been named, shot himself with a single bullet to the head Friday morning, according to the Houston Chronicle.

His body was found at approximately 8:35am inside a stairwell on the fourth floor of HPD’s Westside Patrol Station where he worked.

Because the fourth floor is not in use, nobody heard the gunshot.

He leaves behind a wife and two young children ages 10 and 12.

The officer’s colleagues searched the facility when they noticed that he did not turn up for work at 7am.

Houston police chief Art Acevedo (above) announced on Friday that a sergeant with 21 years experience on the force fatally shot himself in the head at a patrol station

Houston police chief Art Acevedo (above) announced on Friday that a sergeant with 21 years experience on the force fatally shot himself in the head at a patrol station

His body was found at approximately 8:35am inside a stairwell on the fourth floor of HPD¿s Westside Patrol Station (above) where he worked

His body was found at approximately 8:35am inside a stairwell on the fourth floor of HPD’s Westside Patrol Station (above) where he worked

Houston police chief Art Acevedo said he would not release the name of the officer until his two children were informed of their father’s suicide by their mother.

Investigators are now trying to piece together a so-called ‘psychological autopsy’ that would shed light as to what motivated the sergeant to take his life.

‘We know that life brings us a lot of stress,’ Acevedo said.

‘We know that a lot of factors go into these incidents occurring, and we owe it to the family and to one another to make sure that we have a clear understanding as to what led to this day. Was it emotional issues involving work, was it emotional issues involving something else?’

More police officers die by suicide than by violent criminals whom they encounter in the line of duty, according to the International Association of Chiefs of Police. 

Badge of Life, an organization devoted to improving the mental health of law enforcement officials, estimates that there are between 100-150 suicides in the US every year.

The organization conducted a study which showed that police officers were less likely than the general public to kill themselves. 

  • For confidential support call the National Suicide Prevention Line on 1-800-273-8255 

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