It's been a dark time for a Texas sheriff's department. Four current and former sheriff's deputies have died by suicide weeks apart. All four sheriff's deputies were members of Harris County Sheriff's Department in Houston, Texas.
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The death started in February with three dying in a span of just a week. The first death was Deputy Long Nguyen on February 6. ABC 13 reported on her death. Several weeks later, the sheriff's department announced that Deputy Christina Kohler died by suicide on March 13. She had been missing for a week.
Three days later, police discovered Deputy Maria Vasquez, who had retired in 2024, deceased.
Their colleagues mourned their loss, "Heaven has gained two beautiful angels - Deputy Christina Kohler and retired Deputy Maria Vasquez. May their memory be a blessing, inspiring strength and comfort to their friends, family and coworkers during this challenging time."
Sheriff's Department Tragedies
Fast forward to March 19, and retired Deputy William Bozeman also died by suicide. President of Harris County Deputies' Organization Jose Lopez reacted to the string of suicides.
"It hits very close to home and it's a reminder to us how fragile life is and it's also a reminder we do need to look out for each other. We do need to take care of each other," Lopez told ABC 13. Lopez made plans to launch mental health initiatives to address mental wellbeing of deputies at the sheriff's department.
Harris County Sheriff Ed Gonzalez also mourned the loss of life.
"Today we learned of a Harris County Sheriff's Office retiree who died from an apparent suicide. This makes three for us within the span of a week. Our hearts are heavy. We extend our deepest condolences to their families, colleagues, and friends. It's a painful reminder that life is fragile and time is not promised," Gonzalez
wrote on Facebook.Meanwhile, per a report by Click2Houston, Dr. Ron Acierno, the Director of the Trauma and Resilience Center at UTHealth Houston, talked mental health. He said, "Much like the veteran community and the active-duty community, the idea is to tough it out. Or whether it's due to the fact that they just didn't know the help was available or didn't think it could help."
He also added, "They aren't fun. They aren't comfortable. They're very action-oriented. The focus is on changing what you do to change how you feel," he reportedly said.
If you are feeling down or have thoughts of harming yourself, please call the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline.
