Houston-area sheriff’s office reels from string of suicides

The Harris County Sheriff’s Department in Texas reported one of its employees and three retirees had ended their lives between February 6 and March 13. Harris County includes Houston and its suburbs. Three of the apparent suicides occurred within one week, Sheriff Ed Gonzalaz wrote on social media. Deputy Christina Kohler and retired deputies Maria Vasquez, William Bozeman, and Long Nguyen all died by suicide, local news media reported.

“Life is fragile and time is not promised,” the sheriff wrote.

What are the department’s current mental health policies? Any sheriff’s office personnel who are directly involved in the use of force causing death or serious injury are referred to mental health services. Employees whose jobs increase their exposure to such incidents have mandatory checkups every two years.

Thomas McNeese, director of the Harris County Sheriff's Office Behavioral Health Division, told local news his department is evaluating whether additional policies need to be put in place.

How many law enforcement officers commit suicide each year? An average of 184 officers per year died by suicide between 2016 and 2022, according to a 2024 report from the Center for Naval Analyses, a national security research firm.