A retired New York Police Department officer appears to have committed suicide on Lido Beach Monday morning, according to a source, the latest in a string of law enforcement suicides on Long Island.
Nassau County police confirmed Monday that they discovered a body on Hempstead Beach, but have yet to identify the victim or provide many details about the incident.
Police said they believe the death was a suicide.
According to a source close to the investigation, the male victim was a former New York City cop who arrived at the beach and fatally shot himself with a handgun in the early morning hours.
“It’s a sad situation that we don’t really want to report on,” Nassau police told The Post.
If the autopsy confirms the self-inflicted killing, it would be the seventh police officer to commit suicide in New York this year.
At its current rate, the state is on track to have more than 20 police suicides by the end of 2025, far exceeding 2024’s total of 13.
“The numbers are alarming, which is why our mental health should be a priority,” Nassau County PBA President Tommy Shevlin told the Post.
Shevlin recently raised the alarm about police suicides across the state, with Long Island accounting for more than half of them.
“We are in the midst of a quiet crisis,” Suffolk County PBA President Lou Civello has previously stated.
In Suffolk, four officers committed suicide last year. This year, Nassau has been the site of all four Long Island police suicides.
“The suicide rate among law enforcement is 60% higher than the average population,” Gov. Kathy Hochul admitted on X last year, allocating $13 million to mental health services for cops across the state.
However, police union presidents believe more is needed, urging Albany to pass the Lt. Joseph Banish Mental Health Act, which would establish a mental health support program for officers.
“This legislation is not just necessary — it’s long overdue,” according to Civello.
