Warning: This article discusses suicide.
(NewsNation) — Four members of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department have died by suicide in 24 hours, according to a statement from the department.
One retired and three current employees were the victims. Though the department did not disclose the identities or confirm the nature of the deaths, anonymous sources confirmed the names of the deceased to The Los Angeles Times.
The first tragedy occurred around 10:30 a.m. Monday in Valencia, followed by another at 12:53 p.m. in Lancaster and a third at 5:40 p.m. in Stevenson Ranch. The fourth victim was found on Tuesday at around 7:30 a.m. in Pomona.
One of the victims, Commander Darren Harris, a 25-year veteran, was discovered dead Monday morning. Retired Sgt. Greg Hovland was found just hours later.
“We are stunned to learn of these deaths, and it has sent shockwaves of emotions throughout the department as we try and cope with the loss of not just one, but four beloved active and retired members of our department family,” L.A. County Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement.
The deaths are under investigation by homicide detectives and the County of Los Angeles medical examiner.
Luna stressed the importance of checking on the well-being of colleagues during difficult times and expressed concern for employees’ mental health.
“During trying times like these it’s important for personnel regardless of rank or position to check on the well-being of other colleagues and friends,” Luna said in his statement. “I have the deepest concern for our employees’ well-being, and we are urgently exploring avenues to reduce work stress factors to support our employees’ work and personal lives.”
The LASD’s Psychological Services Bureau and the Injury and Health Support Unit are actively providing support and resources to the families of the four victims.
In an interview on “Dan Abrams Live,” former L.A. County Sheriff Alex Villanueva pointed to systemic issues affecting law enforcement nationwide.
“One of the common themes across the organization is the sheer lack of manpower, low morale and the effects of the defunding in the hiring freeze imposed by the Board of Supervisors, back in 2020,” Villanueva said.
Villanueva stated that more than 1400 deputies are currently missing from the department, leading to overwhelming workloads with deputies working consecutive 16-hour shifts.
“They’re doing 16-hour shifts back-to-back. You cannot ignore the obvious elephant in the room here,” Villanueva said.
The suicides in Los Angeles echo a disturbing national trend. According to research by Boston University, there were 116 officer suicides in the U.S. in 2020, outnumbering line-of-duty deaths. In 2021, the number of suicides increased by 23% to 150.
“The efforts by politicians to demonize, dehumanize, delegitimize the function of law enforcement in a peaceful society is taking its toll. For a lot of cops, their identity goes along with their profession to a big extent,” Villanueva said.
If you or anyone you know is struggling with mental health or thoughts of suicide, please seek immediate professional help by calling the nationwide mental health crisis hotline by dialing 988.
NewsNation’s affiliate KTLA contributed to this report.