NYPD Suicides: Wake Today For 9th Officer To Die
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) – A wake is planned today for NYPD Officer Robert Echeverria.
The 25-year veteran killed himself last week at his Laurelton, Queens home.
Echeverria, 56, was the ninth NYPD officer to die of an apparent suicide so far this year.
His sister told CBS2 she alerted internal affairs about her brother's mental health multiple times, but he never got the help he needed.
"I tried, I begged you, I went to you, and you blew it off and said he's fine, and now my brother's dead," she said in an emotional interview.
An NYPD spokesperson said it's investigating Echeverria's case.
Police Commissioner James O'Neill has declared a mental health crisis in the department and urged the ranks to seek help.
The NYPD listed the following resources:
NYPD-SPECIFIC:
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- Employee Assistance Unit: 646-610-6730
- Chaplains Unit: 212-473-2363
- POPPA (independent from the NYPD): 888-267-7267
OUTSIDE OPTIONS:
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- NYC WELL: Text, call, & chat www.nyc.gov/nycwell
- Lifeline: 800-273-TALK (8255)
- Crisis Text Line: Law enforcement officers can text BLUE to 741741 (non-law enforcement can text TALK to 741741)
- Call 911 for emergencies
Echeverria's wake is set for 4 to 8 p.m. at the J. Foster Phillips funeral home in Jamaica. His funeral will be held Wednesday.