HOUSTON — The Harris County Sheriff’s Office is reeling after the deaths of four current and former deputies who died by suicide over the course of six weeks — underscoring the ongoing mental health crisis in law enforcement.
Sheriff Ed Gonzalez told CNN that three of the deaths happened within the same week toward the end of March.
“It hurts, and I grieve each loss,” Gonzalez told CNN. “When a deputy dies by suicide, it is particularly painful because I can’t help wondering what could have been said or done to help them.”
Among those lost was Deputy Christina Kohler, 37, who joined the agency in 2018 and worked in the courts division. The other individuals — Long Nguyen, Maria Vasquez and William Bozeman — had either retired or left the department in recent years.
Thomas McNeese, who oversees wellness initiatives at the department, described the emotional toll of the recent losses as being like a bomb — starting with a devastating impact on close family and friends, but continuing to reverberate throughout the agency, according to CNN.
“It’s a family, and we’re a large agency, but everyone gets to know each other,” McNeese said. “And people you wouldn’t expect to be affected end up being affected.”
In a recent statement, Gonzalez said he was deeply moved by the support the department has received from law enforcement leaders across the country. He shared that FBI Director Kash Patel personally reached out to extend condolences for the recent losses.
“We’re still in the initial stage of grief and doing our best to hold each other up,” Gonzalez said. “In times like these, we come together to learn from these tragedies, console one another, and offer help and support. As with other tragedies, such as line-of-duty deaths, injuries and shootings, suicide impacts us all.”
Retirement and identity loss: A hidden risk
Although each situation differed, McNeese highlighted an often-overlooked concern: the mental health risks officers face after leaving law enforcement.
“Retired cops unfortunately commit suicide quite frequently and nobody hears about it,” he told CNN. “It doesn’t make the news.”
A joint report from CNA Corporation and First H.E.L.P. found that 1,287 public safety personnel died by suicide between 2016 and 2022. Of those, 17% were retired — and half of those individuals died within two years of leaving the job, First H.E.L.P. founder Karen Solomon told CNN.
Solomon noted that retirement — often seen as a time of celebration — can instead feel destabilizing for some. Former officers may struggle with the loss of identity, purpose and routine, she said, adding, “They are facing their mortality.”
In some cases, she added, suicides occurred near the date of retirement — a milestone that’s expected to be celebratory but can be emotionally destabilizing.
Unpacking trauma after the badge
While McNeese said mental health services are available to retirees through a clinic and the union, there’s an ongoing need to strengthen that support and reduce the stigma around asking for help — especially for those who no longer wear a badge.
Nationally, about 40% of law enforcement agencies offer wellness programs, according to Domingo Herraiz, director of programs at the International Association of Chiefs of Police. But in many cases, those services end once an officer’s employment ends.
Sheriff Gonzalez, who launched the Behavioral Health Division in 2020, said he wants mental wellness to be seen as an essential part of the department’s operations.
“We owe it to each other to have uncomfortable conversations and be a little vulnerable,” Gonzalez said. “We want our deputies to know that the mental health resources we offer them will make them better public servants, because these resources make us stronger in every way.”
Herraiz told CNN that more officers are receiving mental health training today than ever before — a shift he attributes to state-level action and growing awareness.
“I sure feel damn good about the fact that we’re addressing these issues that we didn’t address 20 years ago,” he said.
The role of peer support in officer wellness
In response to the recent deaths, McNeese and his team ramped up their outreach, including informal check-ins with staff in the courthouse where Kohler had been assigned. More than 200 employees attended a recent breakroom gathering organized by peer support specialists Karen Altamirano and John Celius — an opportunity for connection, conversation and a shared meal.
Celius, who often shares personal experiences from his years in the field, said that talking through shared challenges can create space for others to open up.
“You can just see in their body language,” Celius said. “They’re not as tense. They’re able to calm down. They’re able to rationalize.”
The peer support team — part of the department’s Behavioral Health Division — supports more than 5,000 employees, with help from a volunteer network trained to recognize signs of distress, such as mood changes, withdrawal or changes in appearance.
External resources, such as COPLINE, offer a confidential, 24/7 hotline staffed by retired law enforcement officers trained in active listening. The service is available to current and former officers, as well as their families. More information can be found at copline.org.
For those interested in department-wide resources, Lexipol’s Wellness solutions help agencies deliver anonymous, 24/7 support, enhance peer support team readiness, and build a culture of wellness. Contact Lexipol at 844-312-9500 to learn more or request more information here.
