Loved ones, community members gather to say goodbye to Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik
PATERSON, N.J. -- Family, friends and colleagues on Tuesday said goodbye to Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik, who died by suicide last week.
Passaic County sheriff's officers were among the first to make their way into the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson.
Dozens of others waited in a long line to get inside so they could pay their respects to Berdnik, who law enforcement sources say died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound inside a Turkish restaurant in Clifton.
"I am still blown, and all I can do is keep him and his family, particularly, in prayer," said Passaic resident Evelyn T. Robinson.
Robinson knew the sheriff and says he was kind and cared about his community.
"When he was in Passaic, we felt like he loves us the best, but I am sure the other residents felt the same way. If there was any kind of community event, he was there," she said.
"He was a person that was there if you needed him," Passaic resident Roszella Wilson said.
The tragedy unfolded on Jan. 23. Friends say Berdnik was having a late lunch at Toros Restaurant when he got up and went to the bathroom. Then, diners heard the gunshot.
"I couldn't believe it, and I couldn't understand it," Congressman Bill Pascrell Jr. said.
Pascrell, a close friend of the sheriff's, rushed to Toros.
"I know the guy, what he meant to me. The people around me, he treated unbelievably well, and that is what I will remember about him," Pascrell said.
Berdnik was elected sheriff in 2011 after retiring from the Clifton Police Department.
Questions still surround his death.
"We don't know what goes on in people's minds," Pascrell said. "Our heart goes out, and no one can figure this out, even if the truth be known."
Berdnik's funeral is scheduled for 10 a.m. Wednesday at the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist in Paterson. He'll be buried at St. Michael's Cemetery in Bergen County.
If you or someone you know needs help, text or call the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline at 988. Trained counselors are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
