The Dallas Police Department is mourning the death of an officer who died by suicide one day after his involvement in the killing of a murder suspect at an Oak Cliff apartment property.
Officer Matthew Bacon, an 18 year veteran of the force, took his own life Tuesday, WFAA reports, citing confirmation by Dallas Police Department.
The officer-involved shooting of a suspect occurred Monday as police served an arrest warrant at an apartment complex in the 3700 block of South Tyler Street.
Bacon was part of the U.S. Marshals fugitive task force, which includes officers from both Dallas and Mesquite departments and which was serving the warrant. The officers were looking for murder suspect 36-year-old Corey Thomas. They arrived at the address at approximately 10 a.m. August 7.
Officers quickly located Thomas in a pickup truck at the complex. According to a preliminary investigation, when Thomas pointed a gun at the officers, Bacon along with at least three others opened fire, ultimately killing Thomas.
“Officers immediately requested Dallas Fire Rescue and began returning first aid. Thomas was transported by DFR to a local hospital where he died at 10:47 a.m.,” according to information officer Terrance Rhodes in an accountability video, which includes footage from the shooting.
“The suspect weapon was recovered inside the vehicle, and the vehicle was reported stolen,” Rhodes said. “Thomas had an additional warrant out for deadly conduct in addition to the warrant for murder.”
According to WFAA-obtained memos, Dallas Police Chief Eddie Garcia told the force that Bacon’s death is “a heartbreaking loss for our DPD family” and said other members of the force should “never hesitate to reach out” when struggling with mental health issues.
According to a study by Boston University, police officers are more likely to die from suicide than in the line of duty. “In 2020, 116 police officers died by suicide while 113 died in the line of duty (Stanton, 2022). In 2021, that number rose to 150 officers dying by suicide (Leone, 2022). Tragically, law enforcement officers have a 54% increase in suicide risk when compared to the civilian population (McAward, 2022).” The researchers report that the danger is even more pronounced in smaller police forces.
If you or someone you know is struggling with suicidal thoughts, seek help from a professional and call 9-8-8.
