NEW YORK – A police officer killed herself Friday inside NYPD’s Transit Bureau station at the Columbus Circle subway stop, law enforcement sources said.
Officer Erica Reyes, 34, took her own life by shooting herself in a locker room at Transit District 1 headquarters at about 2:30 p.m., according to officials.
“(The officer) was covered with white sheets,” said witness Ante Vidaic, a Lincoln Square public safety agent. “They didn’t make it in time.”
Reyes was transported to Bellevue Hospital where she died, authorities said.
Sources with knowledge of the case said Reyes, who had been with the department for five years, had her firearms taken away from her, although it was not immediately disclosed why, Daily News reported.
The shooting is the second suicide by an active NYPD member this year, police said.
Today, the NYPD mourns as we’ve lost a fellow officer to death by suicide. Our thoughts & prayers are with their family & friends.
You are never alone, help is always available. Law enforcement text BLUE to 741741 (others text TALK)— to be connected to someone who can help 24/7. pic.twitter.com/nolHq8fFKf
— Jessica S. Tisch (@NYPDPC) March 13, 2020
Last year, 10 active NYPD officers took their own life, about twice the number in a typical year.
Police responded with a series of measures, including training 227 peer support officers to help troubled police officers in times of crisis.
In October, the department partnered with New York-Presbyterian Hospital to form Finest Care, which connects despondent police with psychologists or psychiatrists. To date, 92 officers have sought help, according to the report.
Furthermore, the department is creating a team of psychologists, one for each borough, who will provide one-on-one support for troubled officers, officials said.
