The Garland Police Department (GPD) is in mourning as one of its own has died, according to a message tweeted on the department’s Twitter page.
On Saturday, December 3, it was confirmed by Garland Police that Lieutenant Chris Carker, a 16-year veteran of the GPD, took his own life.
“Carker was a leader, a mentor, and a provider to this police department,” the message from Police Chief Jeff Bryan read.
“As law enforcement officers, whatever obstacles we face in our personal lives are amplified by the stress and pressure of being a first responder,” read the message from Bryan.
“Our men and women on the front lines are the people we turn to in times of crisis. But they are also the last to seek help for themselves, as it is so easy to become overwhelmed by the compounding stress of this job.”
He served the citizens of Garland with distinguished honor and was selfless throughout his career, according to members of the department.
“We will grieve and miss him for a very long time,” said GPD Lieutenant Richard Maldonado, speaking to The Dallas Express.
More police officers die by their own hands than are killed in the line of duty, according to The National Library of Medicine. Furthermore, The Texas Law Enforcement Peer Network said that 98% of first responder suicides between 2017 and 2021 were among police officers.
Across the entire population, 45,979 people committed suicide in the United States in 2020, which equates to one death every 11 minutes, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The suicide rate among men in 2020 – the latest official numbers available – was four times higher than that of women, and while men only make up 49% of the population, they commit nearly 80% of suicides.
“The Garland Police Department will be honoring Chris Carker as a work-related death to the service he performed as a Garland Police Officer and Lieutenant,” the release concluded.
If you or someone you care about is experiencing mental health-related distress, contact the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline by calling or texting 988. You can also chat online by clicking here.
For more information, visit the 988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline website: 988lifeline.org.
