A Chicago police officer has died after collapsing at the same station where another officer fatally shot himself over the weekend.
The police department says the officer was at the Calumet District police station on the city’s far South Side when she collapsed just before 6 a.m. on Tuesday. She was pronounced dead a short time later at a nearby hospital. Department spokesman Anthony Guglielmi says an autopsy has not yet been done, but it appears the officer died of natural causes.
On Sunday night, another officer fatally shot himself with his service weapon as he sat in his patrol car in the station parking lot. An autopsy determined that 36-year-old Brandon Krueger took his own life.
The Chicago Police Department released the following statement:
“The past few days have been difficult for the Chicago Police Department. This is the second unexpected death of a Chicago Police Officer. Coping with the loss of a department member is never easy; our thoughts and prayers are with all our members and family affected by these losses. The Chicago Police Department is committed to well-being of our officers 24/7. Our Departments Chaplin’s Unit and Employee Assistance Program, which include[s] over a dozen members, [is] available to our police and co-workers that knew both officers. As part of our ongoing reform efforts, we are making significant investments in mental health for our officers. More information will be available in the coming weeks.”
