Union official: Nassau PD lieutenant from Massapequa takes his own life

The Nassau County Police Department is dealing with the tragic loss of one of their own after a police lieutenant took his own life Monday night.

Kevin Black, president of the Superior Officer's Union, says he was told that a veteran Nassau lieutenant committed suicide at his home in Massapequa around 6 p.m. Monday night. That lieutenant had been on the job with the department for more than 26 years, and was in line for a promotion to captain.

News 12 is told the lieutenant was married with a daughter in high school and a son in college. News 12 is choosing not to identify the lieutenant since the Nassau Police Department is not releasing his name.

Back in August, News 12 reported that members of the Nassau County Legislature had introduced a bill that would make more services available for members of the county's police department who may be struggling with depression.

At the time, no active Nassau officer had committed suicide in nearly two years.

The bill passed the full Legislature in September and is awaiting the county executive's signature. It will fund peer support groups for police and create a smartphone app and website.

"You're not alone, you know, nobody in this family fights alone and this is a family," says Black.

As for Suffolk County, the department revealed under the Freedom of Information Law that there was one officer suicide in 2017, one in 2018 and none so far this year. The NYPD has dealt with 11 active and retired members commit suicide just this year.