4 Current or Former Members of L.A. County Sheriff's Office Died by Suicide Within Span of 2 Days
The deaths are being investigated by homicide officials, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department said in a statement
The deaths of four Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department members in less than 24 hours are under investigation by homicide officials as the department grapples with the losses, multiple outlets report.
According to the Los Angeles Times, CBS and KTLA, the four former and current officers died by suicide.
Three of the members who died were active in the department and one member was a retired employee, the LASD said in a statement to PEOPLE on Wednesday.
The first death was reported on Monday morning at 10:30 a.m., the second one a little after noon the same day, the third one in the early evening and the fourth one on Tuesday around 7:30 a.m., the statement says.
The department did not disclose any information about the officers “out of respect for their grieving families,” it said in a statement.
The Los Angeles Times identified two of the members as Commander Darren Harris, who was found in his home in Santa Clarita, Calif., and Sergeant Greg Hovland, who was found in his home in Quartz Hill, Calif.
The deputy who died on Tuesday was found unresponsive in his home and pronounced dead after being taken to a hospital, NBC reports.
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While no connection has been established between the four deaths, the scenes were all initially visited by homicide detectives, according to the LASD statement. Officials from the department told the Los Angeles Times, on a condition of anonymity, that employees learned about the third and fourth deaths as news spread about the first two deaths across the agency.
“We are stunned to learn of these deaths, and it has sent shockwaves of emotions throughout the department as we try and cope with the loss of not just one, but four beloved active and retired members of our department family,” Sheriff Robert Luna said in the statement, while acknowledging the deaths as a “significant amount of loss.”
“During trying times like these it’s important for personnel regardless of rank or position to check on the well-being of other colleagues and friends,” he said, adding that he is deeply concerned about the employees and is looking into ways to “reduce work stress factor” for them.
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by dialing 988, text "STRENGTH" to the Crisis Text Line at 741741 or go to 988lifeline.org.
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