Bad News
Whatever demons possessed this officer to do the unthinkable have finished their evil work:
- The 9-year-old son of a Chicago police officer who last week shot his two children before committing suicide has died.
We are physically ill at this news. God bless the child and his sister.
Labels: crime
posted by SCC at 12:03 AM
41 Comments:
God rest his soul.
The Lord has seen fit to call the little one to join his sister in Heaven. God Bless.
RIP young man! With everything being dumped on us from the exempts with bullshit to homelife please look out for rach other! Rip officer and your family!
Too sad...no comment.
even battle hardened street cops i work with could not believe this one. i can't tell you how many citizens have come up to me candidly in the past week and asked what the hell is going on with the police dept. to that the only answer i can offer is that i am looking for employment elsewhere.
Prayers for the Children.
I was already having a bad day.. Dealing with the assholes that be on this job.. and now to hear this made me think:
1. Imagine how horrible that was for everyone involved, and suddenly my problems seem minute.
2. There are some sick, sick, sick coppers out here who are constantly overlooked and we need to address it.
Why do officers quickly spread rumors and trash the names of fellow officers? We all know that feeling of when someone informs you of a bad rumor that is going around involving your name. Other officers are the #1 stress on this job. What you may tell one copper in confidence, because you really hit rock bottom, is water cooler topic by evening's end. What do you think you are doing to that copper mentally? When will we learn to respect one another and support one another?
What you may tell one copper in confidence, because you really hit rock bottom, is water cooler topic by evening's end. What do you think you are doing to that copper mentally? When will we learn to respect one another and support one another?
9/24/2008 04:56:00 AM
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Very well said.
How very heartbreaking. God bless them all.
To All of You Men and Woman in Blue:
There are those of us that do appreciate everything you all do. Thank you for dedicating your life to a profession that serves and protects others. Thank you for letting us sleep at night, while you remain on alert, watching over our safety.
When there are days that you feel no one cares, please know that there are many of us that do. You arise each morning/evening/night to do what the majority of us couldn't and wouldn't do. You are exposed to situations and experiences each and every day, that most of us would not witness in lifetime.
For the majority of you who truly DO try to make a difference, don't give up! YOUR decision to enter law enforcement was not just a career choice, it was a calling.
I have one son who has spoken of nothing but becoming a police officer since the time he was old enough to talk. He eats, breaths, and sleeps law enforcement. Not my choice of professions for him, but as with those of you that have chosen this path, he still believes that he can make a difference in this world. Please remember, there are little ones watching your every move, looking up to and admiring your profession. You are heros in their eyes. We adults tend to hold you to a higher standard than any other profession. Please let US remember too, that you all are human, and as imperfect beings, we all hurt and we all make mistakes.
Please take care of one another. Don't give up and keep doing what you do. We need you desperately! God bless you all... and Thank You.
Rip officer and your family!
9/24/2008 01:12:00 AM
R.I.P. to the children....that's it
"What do you think you are doing to that copper mentally? When will we learn to respect one another and support one another?"
Well said!
May this poor child RIP.
My heart goes out the family of those children. I mean no disrespect, but if you don't want to live anymore and you want to eat your barrel, DON'T TAKE YOUR KIDS WITH YOU!!!!
THEY ARE INNOCENT CHILDREN WHO HAVE NO PART IN YOUR PAY BACK TO YOUR WIFE/EX-WIFE.
Sorry, but it needed to be said. I am the first person to try and help someone if they need it.
SIGH! My heart is "sick" hearing this news.
As we pray for the children do not forget their mother as she goes through this most difficult time.
When everything else is taken away from you and everyone has done everything they can to you, you still have yourself. And that's quite a lot. Better still if you have each other and maybe a boss or two on your side. Possibly, he forgot his own worth (It's easy to do on this job). Both children are home safe. It is obvious that he suffered enough on earth. Say a prayer that God takes this into account and judges him mercifully.
As a police officer with 20yrs on this job I noticed that their was no Information ,about the services for the officer and his children on police bulliten is't that the department is ignoring the problems we as officers encounter on a daily basis.
This Department doesn't care ,about us when Det.Soto had his services at the church on roosevelt rd.I only counted five exempts there,what happened to all the other brass? F all the other bosses who did't show up.
Please people, if you are even remotely thinking of doing something so horrible and unthinkable such as this, please get help. Talk to someone, call the EAP(confidential or not it is a MUCH BETTER alternative than the other option), talk to your partner, your priest, hell talk to the homeless crackhead on the beat, talk to anybody that will listen! Partners, if you notice a change in each other, JUST ASK!!!! Maybe the guy sitting next to you doesn't feel he should bother you with his problems, let him know he can. And to the commander that belittled his officers after they had to deal with such a tragic situation, you should be ashamed of your self.
This is heartbreaking,I am still numb from this.We need a leader now worse than ever.
To the person that posted at 4:56 am... You are 100% right! We should be supporting each other...
God bless this little man. May he rest in peace.
Please look out for each other,I have NEVER seen people act the way they do now.We are all just human and under attack from so many different angles.WE HAVE TO CARRY EACH OTHER.
God bless little one, may you find eternal bliss with your sister.....and your father. He must have lost his mind to have done what he did.
If you see someone, know someone who's troubled, reach out and be a friend.
From a non police officer. Is the St. Michael's house still around. My dad had some major problems and they really came through and helped him out. I believe the guy who ran it was named Jerry Bolgar, who was a cop for years and knows what the beat cop is facing each day and has overcome the same issues.
Our main goal is to protect children and elderly. We must also look out for those which suffer from different types of mental conditions. These people could be our own family members and we should treat them all with respect.
May God bless.
My condolences to the family, friends, and the real police of the CPD.
ECS
We are police officers. We see the best in people and we see the worst in people. Throughout our careers, we become victims of desensitization, based on the violence and horrors we deal with. As a result, we lose pieces of our humanity. Our coping skill sets are sometimes healthy and other times not.
We are human. Like everyone else, we are subject to the frailties of humankind. We bleed like everyone else. We hurt like everyone else. Sometimes, because we are police officers, we hurt even more.
As battle-hardened as my mind, heart and soul has become with 25 years in law enforcement, this incident still rocked my very core. I am sure it rocked the core of many others. This is a horror of horrors that hit within our police family. There is no explanation, no understanding for this. Only compassion for those that remain.
While we can do nothing to change what has happened, let us all take a moment to look around and see how we can help prevent a future catastrophic personal tragedy from happening to another.
We have the Professional Counseling Service, Police Chaplains and the Peer Support Group. All are great resources. There are other resources too. Don't forget your fellow officers that you work with and trust.
If your load gets too heavy, use the shoulder of another to lean on. There is no shame in needing some extra support when times get tough. We understand that sometimes things can get so bad that you don't know what to do. We will help you. You are not alone. We are police officers - we look out for one another - that is what we do.
If you see or sense that one of our own is hurting or suffering from the frailties of being human, please talk to them. Help them to get the assistance they may need. Please don't ignore them.
If you see something and are unsure what to do, maybe a discreet call to one of our own at the Peer Support Group can provide some guidance while respecting the privacy of the individual.
We are family. When it comes to stuff like this, forget about if you like the person or not. They are family and are deserving of our concern and assistance.
Work safe!
Lt. JRA
From a non police officer. Is the St. Michael's house still around. My dad had some major problems and they really came through and helped him out. I believe the guy who ran it was named Jerry Bolgar, who was a cop for years and knows what the beat cop is facing each day and has overcome the same issues.
9/24/2008 08:29:00 PM
Sadly, Jerry Bolger passed away 05 Aug 05 following a relatively short but brave battle with cancer. St. Michael's house went under shortly after that. The building is now the offices of the Professional Counseling Unit.
Thought the above poster would want to know. RIP, Jerry.
And God bless the souls of the children, safely home in the arms of our Lord.
9/24/2008 07:50:00 AM
Very nice and a BIG Thank-You from the CPD.
What you may tell one copper in confidence, because you really hit rock bottom, is water cooler topic by evening's end. What do you think you are doing to that copper mentally? When will we learn to respect one another and support one another?
9/24/2008 04:56:00 AM
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Very well said.
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Thank you, at least now I know I'm not alone.
My thoughts and prayers for the innocent children. May they R.I.P.
What you may tell one copper in confidence, because you really hit rock bottom, is water cooler topic by evening's end. What do you think you are doing to that copper mentally? When will we learn to respect one another and support one another?
9/24/2008 04:56:00 AM
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Very well said.
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Thank you, at least now I know I'm not alone.
9/25/2008 03:34:00 AM
thanks from me also i hear it every day we could be a little more humane to one another
My heart goes out the mother, God Bless You.... God Bless those babies. RIP
please any officer or family member if you feel depressed or think you might hurt yourself or your children please please ...
GET HELP there are alot of resources out there
What happened was terrible to say the least... to understand what makes a person choose to do this is difficult. I wish he would have gone to the medical section for psych leave and treatment!
Oh wait... then they would have place him on personal concern status for medical abuse...causing more stress!
Please Lord, bless this Department for they know not what they do!
I look at the comment on the blog and it leave me with one question. what are you doing to insure this does not happen again. In the last there years I have known 3 offers commit suicide and have heard of several more. add the numorous cops who are killing them selves slowly with drink. this was a unthinkable event but in a profession like ours what is to stop us from losing it too. Most of you will say that would never be me but most likely those 3 that took their lives would have said the same thing.We don't open up not even to or partner or wife, we bottle it up and drink, abuse our families and seek comfort in other. so what can be done to ensure thisnever happens again?
NO 1 KNOWS WHAT WAS GOING ON IN HIS HEAD. LETS PRAY 4 THE FAMILY AND LEAVE IT UP 2 THE MAN UP STAIRS TO HANDLE THIS. AND US AS POLICE OFFICERS KNOW THAT WE HAVE IT TOUGH AS IT IS @ WRK. AND SOMETIMES OUR PERSONAL LIVES ARENT THE GREATEST, BUT LETS LEARN FROM THIS MISTAKE AND STICK 2GHTER. AND HAVE FAITH IN GOD
To 6:47, if you are concerned about fellow officers on the department following suit, or cannot understand what happened with this officer and you are unsure whether you could do the same in a fit of anger-call peer support. They have the answers regarding the specific topic you brought up. You don't have to tell them your name, they will talk with you over the phone. This tragic incident probably had absolutely nothing to do with him being the police. My respects and sympathy to the family and friends.
My respects and sympathy to the Area One Saturation Team. You are probably carrying a heavy burden, but know that none of you could have seen this coming. We are all grieving with you. Remember him and his children as you knew them.
I look at the comment on the blog and it leave me with one question. what are you doing to insure this does not happen again. In the last there years I have known 3 offers commit suicide and have heard of several more. add the numorous cops who are killing them selves slowly with drink. ___________________________
You are absolutely right.. I saw a response to your comment posted and some people still feel the need to sweep problems that posion the minds of POs under the carpet. This issue needs to addressed.. It is sad you have known 3 officers that have committed suicide and I applaude you for being through it and realizing the pain it causes.
This department and the PO's in it have made us so afraid to seek help. We are so afraid of our personal business getting out and other coppers talking and judging you. I know most wanna say, "Hey kid go grown some tough skin" but the truth is we are human and we have breaking points. It's bad enough being sued, getting a CR, bouncing around, dealing with a bad boss, dealing with other PO's, working in the ghetto, being overlooked for a spot and the family and financial issues you have to come home to.
Instead of PO's being supportive they just gossip behind your back trashing your name for their own entertainment. We don't respect one another and don't respect ourselves.
No one can ensure anything in this world. The department cannot ensure that citizens are safe and cannot ensure our safety either. Seriously, what can the police department do if someone needs help and they dont look for help. There is nothing they can do except offer help. We have professional counseling and peer support. We also have medical insurance which covers talking with a therapist or doctor and the police department does not have to know what is going on. Don't look to bosses or this department to fix what is going on in officers' brains. They can have all the seminars and classes they want and that you request and still police officers are unfortunately going to take their lives. It's an illness that someone has and it has to be addressed by professionals. It's not just the ills that we see on the street, some officers get into gambling or financial trouble and get way over their head and they take their lives. Ive seen other po's that have had problems before they were the police and they end up taking their lives. Officers that didn't get along with their wives before they became the police take their lives and some just can't handle the job. Just because we can go to a domestic and fix it for them for a few minutes doesn't mean that we can fix our own issues. Remember how it's so easy to see what is going on when you are on the outside?
When was the last time you heard that an incident occurred like the tragic one we are talking about here. You will probably never hear about another tragedy like the one we recently had. Some officers have a mental illness and need to see a doctor, but they don't because they think they will be perceived as weak or that the department is going to find out and they will get into trouble. Some officers just need someone to talk to in order to put things in perspective or to help them problem solve. Just because you need help doesn't mean you are a mental or that you are going to have to go on medication. You have to overcome the fear of the deparment knowing, nothing the department says is going to make you feel comfortable enough to seek help confidentially because if you don't trust the system they have then nothing they say is going to matter. We are police officers and typically we don't trust. If you don't trust them, that's fine, but don't let the dept dictate to you how to go about taking care of your health. Remember that your mental health is just that, your health. You shouldn't feel ashamed because you need someone to talk to-we all do now and then. Some of us have support and some of us don't and some of us don't think we do. If you don't trust EAP or peer support, then seek your own help outside the dept. If you still feel the dept will find out you are talking with someone because of the insurance then do some research and find a doctor or therapist that you can afford without going through your insurance. Or call EAP and they might be able to refer you to a doctor. You probably have friends outside of the department, ask them for help. If you feel you need the help then get it, don't worry about what your fellow officers will think, because they won't be thinking about you when they retire. What is more important, your health and the welfare of your family, or the Chicago Police Department and what they think? I am not pushing the subject under the rug, I'm being realistic. Muster the strength, we all have it inside and get the help you need. It takes courage to seek help, it is weak if you dont. If you can't do it yourself then look to a loved one and ask for help. I'm not a boss, I'm an officer that had to do it for myself and I am the better for it. Look out for each other, life is short.
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