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Subscribe to RSSA 14-year veteran of the New York Police Department apparently shot himself to death Monday after finishing his shift, becoming the fourth NYPD officer to commit suicide in less than a month, The New York Post reported Tuesday.
Matthew Schindler, 39, finished his shift in Queens, N.Y., and then shot himself under the chin off of the Long Island Expressway in Jericho around 4:30 p.m. ET, sources told The Post. The married father of three had texted his sergeant minutes before to tell him goodbye, The Post reported.
“He was one of the nicest people we ever met,” a family friend, Ryan Proce, told The Post. “He’s just an all-around great guy.”
Nassau County police said he died at the scene from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to The New York Daily News.
Officers were called back to the 115th Precinct station, where flags flew at half-staff, reported The Post.
Just eight days ago, another longtime officer, Brian Saar, shot himself in his Suffolk County home after arguing with his wife at a party, sources said, reported The Post. The 20-year veteran was a father to 5-year-old twins.
And last month, a 28-year-old officer killed himself while on duty after receiving a call from his fiancee, who reportedly told him she called his precinct about the depression he was struggling with, The Post said. Terrence Dean shot himself in the head in front of his partner while on the scene of a car burglary in Queens.
Four days earlier, on Jan. 15, Patrick Werner, 23, shot himself in his parents' home in Yorktown Heights after getting into a car accident. Sources told The Post he had been arguing with his girlfriend on his cell phone at the time of the accident.
Counseling is available for troubled police officers through Police Organization Providing Peer Assistance, or POPPA, said The Post. According to the group's website, the network provides confidential help for officers and their families by preventing and reducing psychological issues, marital problems, and substance abuse, among other services.
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Wow, sounds like the NYPD should implement or improve psychological testing for prospective officers (and veterans, in some cases).
woman can nag nag nag until a bullet doesnt sound that bad
They ought to give police officers an unlimited membership with free massages at a massage parlor. That would take SOME of the stress away, that they have to endure on a daily basis.
RIP.
Hopefully you found peace for whatever was plaguing you.
Strange.... Where any of these officers being investigated for criminal activity?
Didn't say, so I am assuming no until proven otherwise.
Ruken: Always searching for an answer as to why someone would take their own life and hurt the people who love them.... Why do those who kill themselves think the next place will be any better? Good grief. :(
If you're searching for a rational answer to suicide, then I have none to give.
Ruken: Me either..... Bottom line suicide just seems to me a selfish choice.... sad.
Lets be honest in the macho world of law-enforcement, military, fire fighters
it is a sign of weakness to see a counselor!
VERY VERY STRESSFUL JOBS!!!
Just curious - how many people aren't at peace when they die? I'm assuming all your problems vaporize when you draw your last breath.
Just look at the state of America and that is plenty enough reason to give up. The government is nothing but a bunch of socialist nazi idiots who want to to control every little thing we do while lining their own pockets with money
Maybe it was Chantix, if they all were trying to quit smoking
Damn that is SCARY. RIP
I hope someone is looking into why these men are giving up.. Hopefully they can save anyone else that may be suffering after all this..
My thoughts are with the families who will never understand why they chose to leave them..
hopefully this is not a trend but just a fluke that they occurred in a short period of time.still a shame that people kill themselves,a girl last week committed suicide close to where i live and she was only 23.i know the outlook may be grime for some people but that does not seem to be the problem.the policemen and this girl were useful and needed people,an old fart like myself might feel useless.
No jobs, no money, no prospects - lots of debt (students and student loans they'll be paying off at some minimum wage job flipping burgers or stocking shelves at Wal*Mart... no use of the $50K loans they took out hoping they would be make enough to cover it). That'll send you over the edge. Mom 'n Pop, using their retirement money to support their adult children - knowing they can't live on it, pay mortgage on a house with no equity...
Yup... the War Hawk - George Bush left a leagacy for us all to live down too. But that's OK - blame it on Obama.
As for why Cops want to eat a bullet - I can't understand that. After all, if you listen to most of the Tea baggers, conervatives and regressionist - cops are perfect and when they aren't its the victims fault for not following orders.
Damn shame.
WOW, I guess stress can really kill you...
you might have a point leather,but i know of a family where more males have died from suicide than natural death.they were intelligent and able men but over three generations they did this.
I wonder what kind of stress, maybe guilt? I think if I say what my suspicion is, I'd open a whole new can of worms, and I don't have the time to deal with stupid responses. Whatever the reason, I hope they have found peace, and their loved ones don't, or stop, feeling guilt. As someone who has known several people that have committed suicide, I can say, after time that guilty feeling goes away, and you find peace.
I'm wondering if there is a relationship between these police officers' suicides and the way the police are treating peaceful demonstrators like the "occupy Wall Street" movement.
Yeah. They're fed up with dealing with the idiots like OWS - and the people who think they are demonstrating "peacefully".
Sarcasm has no place in any intelligent discussion. Are you a fan of Rush Limbaugh?
I doubt there's any connection.
My gut says - these folks were troubled long before becoming police officers, and they sought this kind of job to "deal with" what was always plauging them.
There are lots of people who go into specific professions with the belief that they'll help themselves by helping other people...and it simply doesnt work that way.
and no doubt, the attention given to other officers who've taken their lives...has the unintended consequence of watering the seeds already planted in someones mind.
Incidences of suicide by cop.
guns don't kill cops...cops kill themselves...
Yes, Rick, cops kill themselves like anyone else in society who finds it too difficult to cope with life, the work they may be required to do, and the possible guilt or lack of pride that may come of it.
GOOD RIDANCE! All cops think they are above the law and this idiot was probably involved in something criminal and rather than go to jail and become "bubbas" boyfreind he took the cowards way out.
Makes you wonder. Yes the job is stressful, but they have a job, and a secure one with a union to watch out for them; medical insurance for themselves and their families, good other benefits, a retirement plan. How many people in this day and age have all that??? Are they being blackmailed into corruption or something??
As a cop, you deal with the scum of society day in and day out. You get little pay, and less respect. I mean if all you saw of society was the bad, wouldn't you start losing hope?
It wears on you.
To homesick- Officers may have a union to assist them however the jobs and contracts are also being demolished by this economy. The health insurance is getting worse, most don't have insurance coverage for retirement and alot of us have a 401k that is down to nothing. Oh and if you haven't paid attention they are laying off police and fire fighters every where. The job is not secure and the benefits are dwindeling. But many of us still put on the vest, badge and gun anyway....we didn't get in it for the money thats for sure.
You cant be blackmailed if you have nothing to hide!
Little pay?
www.nypdrecruit.com/benefits-salary/overview
I would have to disagree regarding little pay. Recruits start around $45k total compensation and after 5 1/2 yrs can be making upwards of $90k. I know several young officers in their late 20's making over $100k with overtime. They do pretty well.
With overtime, so that's what? 50-60 hours a week? Often times at night?
They sacrifice a lot, and put themselves in harms way.
i`ve read ruken`s post before responding to yours,there is just no answer that i can find.sure they have too much stress but the people that i know of that committed suicide were not cops,doctors,financial managers or in financial trouble.this girl that i know hung herself,she was twenty three,pretty and working.
@Ruken
You get little pay, and less respect.
Not sure what NYPD get paid, but I guarantee it's a lot more than your average American does. My brother is a 5 year county deputy in a western state and his base salary is 95K a year. That is not including OT. So I'm pretty sure an NYPD officer gets paid pretty well.
Still... Very sad that these men thought the only way out of their misery was suicide.
Someone linked the pay for NYPD earlier. I forget the numbers but they're higher than average salary.
But then you have to consider the sh*tty hours and the sh*tty conditions, not to mention often working overtime in said conditions.
I personally know of a cop who lives in a "gated community." So, I'm not quite believing the low pay factor.
$45K in NYC is not a lot of money. Its like earning $25K somewhere else. In any borough of NYC, unless you make very close to, or at 6 figures, life can be pretty miserable. These officers, even if they don't live in one of those boroughs, have to deal with a very long commute. So if an officer is pulling a 10 hour shift, the commute can add another 1- 1 1/2 hours each way. It sucked being there, because though my husband and I made what would be considered good pay somewhere else, due to the high cost of living in NYC, we couldn't enjoy living there.
To the best of my knowledge they applied and tried out for the positions - they weren't conscripted. They knew what they were trying to get into. As for the overtime, often times it is voluntary and not required. Again, they ask for it.
I have little sympathy for them if they continue in a career field that they asked to enter, voluntarily remain and then bitch about pay, working conditions, hours, etc. I'm sure they are free to leave and find other employment and that there would be many trying to gain their position.
I bet these guys were actually decent police men disillusioned by the reality that they don't really make that much of a difference in the world because of the corrupt nature of some of their rogue colleagues and the pointless back @$$word laws they have to enforce, top that off with a spouse or partner that has no clue of what they endure day after day and you get distraught fragile person that has no one to turn to. Sad story.
Is there another police corpution invetigation going on in NYC?
My heart goes out to them. Yes, there are scum police officers who ruin the name of decent officers, but they have a hard job.
There are a ot of "scum" peope out there also, whom poice officers have to deal with on a daily basis.
Yes it is hard to harrass inocent people and shake down drug dealers and shopkeepers.
DRUGS: Please listen. Legal and illegal mind altering drugs, cause thoughts of suicide. Doctors and street pushers want you on drugs. It's all about the money.
Stay off the drugs. Learn to stand up and face life without them. BE STRONG, AND LIVE.
You know what also causes thoughts of suicide? Depression.
You know what tends to cause depression? Dealing with the scum of society every day for little pay and less respect.
Stress at work? Check
Even more stress at home? Check
Awful Economy? Check
Does being a police officer get worse and more difficult every single year? Yep
It's unfortunate and I hope they've all found the peace in death that they could never find in life.
According to most religions, they are burning in H E double hockey sticks right now and for all eternity. No exceptions.
Not my personal belief, but the accepted way of thinking for many.
The deluded thinking of many perhaps.
They served their communities and put their lives on the line for years, sacrificing (among other things) their mental health. I'm sure anyone who truly believes in a merciful God would see that.
My heart goes out to the kids of these cowardly "officers".
You have serious problems. You know that?
There must be a better way to cope with or deal with the realization of working for one of the most corrupt organizations in this country.
I can't think of one.
I can! I'd quit before a job drove me to suicide. I'd flip burgers morning, noon and night if that's what it took, but I wouldn't kill myself and before someone says that I need to walk a mile in somebody else's shoes. It doesn't matter, NOTHING could make me take my own life and I've faced some really, really hard times in my life, but suicide was never an option.
Well Shelby, you've never walked in a police officer's shoes, been spit on by society for trying to do your job day in and out, etc. But I'm sure your hardships have been comparable to what these officers face on a day to day basis. Lucky you for being such a strong individual and able to cope against all odds.
People do not realize "the world" that Police Officers choose to enter?
That "world" only shows the very worst sides of humanity and when they are surrounded by it, day in and day out, it has got to wear a person down FAR more than they ever imagined when they chose to enter the force.
To make matters worse... the NYPD? Or any massive, metropolitan police force on Earth has got to wear you down even faster.
Soldiers go to war and, for those who come home... at least they do come home, take off their uniform and get back to leading more normal lives, but police remain police for far too many years.
As for these suicides? The smarter cops get out, retire or just quit.
Those who are under stress and depressed that stay?
Then the suicides should be EXPECTED, but still "very selfish and cowardly acts to lay on their families and children!". The delayed effects on all of their family members can go on for generations.
Either way it is very sad, especially for their families and children.
May they all RIP.
If they were under investigation or about to be cashiered out on a section 8 mental case. Maybe a case like this officer who shot 6 people in the last 10 years, right or wrong - it starts to look like a habit.Every time officer Jones is on the scene, a suspect dies - not a good reputation for the force and even worse when there's a case for wrongful death law suite... lawyers love cases where an officer has long, frequent use of fire arms, resulting in civilian deaths - juries start to wonder... 6 times! It might look like a good solution.
Even with a suicide, its better than going to prison. The wife and kids get the pension, and they died with Officer in good standing honors.
If they're not shooting themselves, they're shooting innocent people. Story in the LA Times about a cop that shot and killed someone out of paranoia:
A veteran Orange County sheriff’s deputy (claims/lied that) he feared for the safety of two young girls sitting in a parked car when he shot and killed a Marine sergeant in a dark parking lot near San Clemente High School, authorities said Friday.
Sgt. Manuel Loggins Jr. was shot early Tuesday as he started to get into the SUV where his two daughters — 9 and 14 — were sitting, authorities said. Jim Amormino, a spokesman for the department, said the deputy was fearful that Loggins — who he said (supposedly) appeared to be acting irrationally — was about to drive off with the girls.
“The real threat that was perceived was the safety of the children,” Amormino said.
“The deputy formed an opinion that he had a deep concern for the children, that he would not allow Mr. Loggins to drive away with the kids,” Amormino said.
That is quite a broad and idiotic generalization you just shared. Congratulations
Sounds about right.
TOR... you're basing you concept on a few lines of a story? Or, do you have personal knowledge of the incident that is not noted in the story?
Is it possible the Marine was acting irrationally or threatening to himself or others? It doesn't say in your posted missive, so you either have other information or you're clairvoyant.
Of course, had the Sheriff allowed the man to drive away and it was found later that he killed his daughters and himself, would you be the first in line to shake the sheriff's hand and applaud his actions? Or would you be the first in line to hang him from the nearest tree? I believe you'd be doing the latter. From your post, whatever they do will be wrong in your eyes.
We live in a very, very complicated society. People that normally don't care to be under stress are very much so.
The job opening prospects does not look good for NYPD if in the last month or so their department loses 4 to suicide. I too wonder if they were linked at all.
I feel badly for the children that have to grow up w/o their dads. So sad that these men couldn't get help for themselves to avoid leaving their families behind to pick up pieces.
Speedy has some excellent points: Police for the most part only see the community at its worst, not good for anyone's mental health. Soldiers have higher risk of mortality from an enemy, but know that after a given period they will leave that environment which has to help the mental health.
My thought has always been that many Police officers and Fireman are on the job too long. There should be a cycle where they only stay on the street active roles for a period of time, like 15 years and then rotate to another position. Knowing there is a safety net by time should help the mental outlook. Allow them to retire at 18 years with dignity like the armed forces if they don't get promoted or moved to a non street job they want. Not every person who has those jobs can maintain the physical and mental edge needed for 40+ years waiting for retirement.
To me, having left the families/children behind indicates they have gotten into a mental mode where feeling and responsibility are gone.
The good ones usually get promoted to specialties, make detective... very few remain "beat" cops their whole career.
Better keep an eye on the rest of the flock before they end it all from one shot of the glock! They definitely need intervention before it be comes DEVINE!
Suicides typically come in bunches. When one person follows through with a suicide the others who knew him or of him who were contemplating suicide use his actions as motivation to finally do it. People don't just kill themselves on a whim, they have been debating it typically for years.
Yup, they pretty much find something to cling to and live for, until something shoves them off the edge.