New York City NY March 15 2020 An police officer killed herself Friday inside the NYPD’s Transit Bureau station at the Columbus Circle subway stop, law enforcement sources said.
Officer Erica Reyes, 34, took her own life by shooting herself in a locker room at Transit District 1 headquarters At about 2:30 p.m., officials said.
“The officer was covered with white sheets,” said witness Ante Vidaic, a Lincoln Square public safety agent. “They didn’t make it in time.”
Reyes was rushed to Bellevue Hospital where she died, authorities said.
A short time later, a second officer, apparently despondent over the suicide, was escorted out of the station house and put into an ambulance for an evaluation.
Sources with knowledge of the case said Reyes, who had been with the department for five years, had her firearms taken away from her, although it was not immediately disclosed why.
She may have grabbed a gun from another officer before shooting herself, sources with knowledge of the case said.
The shooting is the second suicide by an active NYPD member this year, police said. A retired NYPD officer also committed suicide in Long Island last month, officials said.
Last year, 10 active NYPD cops killed themselves, about twice the number in a typical year.
Police responded with a series of measures, including training 227 peer support officers to help troubled cops in times of crisis.
In October, the department partnered with New York-Presbyterian Hospital to form Finest Care, which connects despondent cops with psychologists or psychiatrists. To date, 92 cops have sought help.
The department is creating a team of psychologists, one for each borough, who will provide one-on-one support for troubled cops, officials said.
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