Police: Officer dies in 9th NYPD suicide of 2019

Police say an NYPD officer is dead in an apparent suicide.
Police sources said earlier that an officer in Queens shot himself to death early Wednesday night. It is the ninth NYPD suicide of the year.
This is the seventh time since June that an NYPD officer has died by suicide this year, and the second this week.

The suicide comes the same day as Nassau Police Benevolent Association President James McDermott urged officers to reach out for help.

The PBA says the previous stigma of mental health should not deter them from speaking up.

"I think you're being strong, you're realizing there's something wrong and you should reach out for help," McDermott said. "There's so many avenues for that."

Officer Johnny Rios was found dead inside his Yonkers home Tuesday morning of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. Officer Rios was stationed by Yankee Stadium.

In 2018, 159 police officers died by suicide nationwide. New York had the second most suicide deaths among police officers.