An NYPD chief officer shot himself in the head while inside an unmarked patrol vehicle on June 5, about a month before his obligatory retirement.
The 62-year-old officer was about to turn 63 and face mandatory retirement.
Silks was taken to the Elmhurst Hospital, but they didn't succeed in saving him.
"It’s terrible he would find himself in that place," a Queens detective at the scene told The NY Post. "Say a prayer for his family."
Silks "absolutely lived for the NYPD," said another police source.
"He loved what he did. He was admired and loved by everybody. It’s heartbreaking," the officer stated.
Roy Richter, head of the Captains Endowment Association, told the NY Daily News: “I am speechless, Steve was an incredibly dedicated and great guy. He was great at what he does. This is a terrible loss.”
"He ran a 3:09 New York Marathon at one point in his life and reached the summit of Mount Everest. He coordinated the U.S. Open on a regular basis." Richter continued, "He was part of the fabric of just about every major police event over the last couple of decades ... He’s a reliable guy, he’s very friendly. He was a good friend. How do you describe a good friend? He was always someone you could rely on when you needed support.”
Sources said Silks submitted his retirement papers on Tuesday. He had been working in the NYPD for almost 39 years, several of those years he had been the commander of the NYPD firing range in the Bronx.
“His family lives out of state. He’s not married. He absolutely lived for the NYPD,” said a fellow cop and friend of Silks. “He was admired and loved by everybody he worked with. He was aged out. He’s the kind of guy who would have served until he died of natural causes.”
He was reportedly saddened because of the fact that he was going to retire.
“Tonight is a sad night for New Yorkers—we have lost a deeply respected public servant, who dedicated more than 39 years to putting his life on the line to protect others. The passing of NYPD Deputy Chief Steven Silks is heartbreaking, and we are profoundly saddened by his untimely loss. We grieve alongside and offer our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and the entire NYPD.”
In an I-Team survey of police officers across the country, 78 percent said they experienced critical stress, 68 percent said that stress caused unresolved emotional issues, and 16 percent responded that they had suicidal thoughts. Even with the above-mentioned numbers, 9 out of 10 officers said there is a stigma adhered to seeking help.