Scott Cohn: NYPD officer who was ‘unhappy with job’ jumps to his death from bridge as cop suicides on rise
If you or someone you know is considering suicide, please contact the National Suicide Hotline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255).
BROOKLYN, NEW YORK: Scott Cohn, an NYPD police officer, decided to take his own life by jumping off a bridge in New York. It was rumored that the officer had mental health issues related to his job, leading to the fourth officer taking his own life this year.
As reported by the Daily Mail, on September 13, the body of an NYPD officer who had jumped from the Throgs Neck Bridge the night before, leaving his keys and cell phone in his car in the middle of the bridge was discovered. Six years after joining the force as an officer with the 90th Precinct in Brooklyn, Cohn also sang the national anthem at NYPD events. Police sources have suggested that the 38-year-old was having emotional difficulties at work and was considering resigning. “I know he wasn't happy in patrol,” a Brooklyn officer who knew him said. “He wasn't happy with the treatment police are getting, the current environment. But that's not really a reason to want to kill yourself. Anybody can leave the job.” “It's just sad, he was a very friendly, pleasant guy,” the officer said about Cohn.
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The Bronx-to-Queens bridge, which crosses the East River, was left with Cohn's Honda Civic on the northbound side. The disabled car was located at around 10.20 pm on September 12 as the Triborough Bridge and Tunnel Authority (TBTA) informed authorities that an unidentified person had allegedly leaped from the vehicle. According to Daily Mail, security footage shows a person wandering near the truck a few minutes before jumping. The event triggered a late-night search of the river by numerous maritime units, including the FDNY, NYPD, and US Coast Guard, under stormy skies. The search was put off after a few hours, but it restarted on Tuesday, September 13.
Every year, four to five NYPD policemen commit suicide, but in 2019, that figure more than quadrupled to ten. In order to reduce the stigma surrounding seeking assistance, then-Commissioner James O'Neill gave mental health a high priority and implemented modifications such as enabling officers in need to maintain their badges even while they turn in their guns. But in 2020, there were four NYPD suicides and three more in 2021. Cohn is the fourth person from NYPD to commit suicide this year, raising alarms over the issue of security, environment, and pressure that comes along with the designation.