NEW YORK – An NYPD detective killed himself at his home on Monday, a police source confirmed to Fox News.
The police detective was a 29 year veteran of the department. He appeared to have hanged himself at the home in Middle Village, Queens, police said.
Police would not confirm the identity of the officer, but the Daily News reported he was Det. Paul Federico.
Federico, 53, who joined the NYPD in 1990, worked in the Central Park Precinct for more than 20 years, then joined the police commissioner’s liaison office when James O’Neill became commissioner, sources said.
“He was very dedicated to the job and to the department. He will be sorely missed.” Detectives’ Endowment Association President Paul DiGiacomo said Monday.
Frederico recently had been placed on modified duty and had his shield and gun taken away, although it was not immediately clear why, sources told the Daily News.
According to Fox, he was instrumental in helping another officer, NYPD Auxiliary Officer Michael Dorian, secure benefits from the September 11 Victim Compensation Fund after Dorian learned he had stage 4 skin cancer but initially couldn’t prove he was at Ground Zero in 2001.
Frederico helped Dorian find an interview that aired on WNBC at the time, showing he was at the scene.
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea posted the number for a crisis hotline urging officers or anyone “going through something” to reach out.
“Today we tragically lost another member of our NYPD family,” Shea wrote.
Frederico’s death was the first in the NYPD in 2020, following a string of 10 suicides last year.
