On a sad day in Staten Island, Joseph Pizzarro, a male NYPD sergeant, ended his own life. He had been a member of the police force for nearly 15 years. On January 13, 2018, his wife, Marisa, received a heartbreaking final text message from him that read, 'Goodbye. I love you. Just know my final thoughts were you and our boys. You and our boys are my heart and soul. Please don't let them forget about me. I'm sorry.'
He was later discovered in a hotel room on Staten Island with a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Joseph, who was married to his high school sweetheart and was a father to two boys, had been battling with his mental health for some time. His wife described him as having different sides to his personality; the 'fun, happy Joe' she fell in love with, an 'angry Joe,' and a 'quiet Joe,' who was the most depressed. His family believes he was afraid to speak up about his struggles for fear that it would negatively impact his career and potentially lead to him losing his job. His death was one of several suicides within the NYPD that year, bringing attention to the mental health crisis among police officers. Due to the nature of his death, there were no suspects or arrests.
