Two Florida Deputies End Their Lives Days Apart, Leaving 1-Month-Old Son Orphaned

Two Florida sheriff’s deputies ended their lives within days of each other, leaving their infant son without a parent. A Florida sheriff is now hoping their deaths will be a “catalyst for change” and end the stigma surrounding mental health.

On New Year’s Eve, officials received a call about St. Lucie County Deputy Clayton Osteen having tried to kill himself shortly before midnight, according to the New York Post. The 24-year-old officer, who was off-duty at the time, was taken to the hospital to receive medical attention. On Jan. 2, Deputy Osteen’s family “made the very difficult decision to remove him from life support,” according to a statement from Sheriff Ken J. Mascara.

Deputy Osteen had a 1-month-old son named Jayce with Deputy Victoria Pacheco, according to PEOPLE. zthe sheriff’s office found out Tuesday that Deputy Pacheco took her own life following the loss of her child’s father.

“As sheriff, I saw these two deputies as young, ambitious and a great compliment to my already amazing group of professionals. To the general public, and sometimes even myself, it’s easy to view law enforcement as superhuman … but let’s not forget that they’re human just like us,” Sheriff Mascara said in his statement.

The sheriff noted that it is impossible to fully understand “the private circumstances” that led to the deputies ending their lives, but he hopes their deaths will shed light on mental health and normalize much-needed conversations surrounding it, especially among first responders.

A 2020 Congressional Research Service report revealed that first responders face a higher risk of suicide, as reported by NBC News.

“Law enforcement deal with not only the day-to-day stress we all face but also the stress of those whom they serve in our community, which can sometimes be very challenging,” Sheriff Mascara added.

“...We pray that this tragedy becomes a catalyst for change, a catalyst to help ease the stigma surrounding mental well-being and normalize the conversation about the challenges so many of us face on a regular basis,” the sheriff added.

If you have thoughts of suicide, confidential help is available for free at the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Call 1-800-273-8255. The line is available 24 hours, every day.