LA Sheriff’s Department Grieves And Searches For Answers After 4 Employees Die Within 24 Hours

The Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department is mourning an unprecedented tragedy after four current and former employees died by suicide in a span of 24 hours.

Three of the suicides were in north L.A. County, but it’s unclear if they’re related. Sheriff Robert Luna said in a statement he has “the deepest concern for our employee’s well-being.”

“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,” Luna said in a statement. “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.”

The first death was reported around 10:30 a.m. Monday in Valencia, the sheriff’s department said. A little more than two hours later, authorities responded to another death in Lancaster. The third was reported Monday evening in Stevensen Ranch, and on Tuesday morning, a current LASD employee died at a hospital in Pomona.

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The employees have not been publicly identified by the department, but medical examiner records show that Greg Hovland, Darren Harris, and Corina Thompson all died of self-inflicted wounds. Derek Hsieh, executive director of the deputies union, the Association For Los Angeles Deputy Sheriffs, confirmed that the fourth death was also a suicide.

Harris, 56, had been with the department for more than 26 years. He was once the spokesperson for the Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff's Station. Harris also worked in the Sheriff’s Information Bureau and the department’s Transit Services Bureau as a captain.

Hovland, 67, had retired from the department as a sergeant.

Thompson, 59, was a custody assistant with LASD.

Richard Pippin, president of the deputies’ union, said LASD has lost 10 people to suicide in 2023, including two children of deputies.

“I’ve been on for 34 years, I’ve never seen anything like this,” Pippin said.

He said the department is 1,100 deputies short of needed levels, which is putting a lot of pressure on the current employees and their families. People are working 70 hours a week in some cases, Pippin said, which is adding a lot of strain to an already stressful job.

Law enforcement officers are 54% more likely to die by suicide, according to a 2020 study in the National Library of Medicine.

The department is offering resources to the grieving families through its Psychological Services Bureau and the Injury and Health Support Unit. LASD is also exploring ways to reduce stress for employees at work and in their personal lives, Luna said.

LASD personnel and their families can access free, confidential counseling 24/7 through the department’s Psychological Services Bureau. The department also has a Peer Support Program available for extra assistance.