Woman sought in Massachusetts officer’s death co-founded mental health group for first responders

Worcester, Mass. (AP) — Police investigating the death of an off-duty police officer in Massachusetts in what they called a domestic matter are searching for a woman who co-founded a group that focuses on suicide and mental health issues among first responders.The officer, a 31-year veteran, was found dead at a home in Worcester, Massachusetts, on Tuesday. Police and Worcester-county-district-attorney" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="188707" data-entity-type="organization">Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said the 58-year woman was at the house. Police were passing out flyers with her photo to drivers in the area Wednesday morning.Local, state and federal agencies were involved in searching for the woman, who may be armed, Worcester-police-chief" class="entity-link entity-organization" data-entity-id="188708" data-entity-type="organization">Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier and Worcester District Attorney Joseph Early said at a news conference.“I can’t get into too much of it with regards to our domestic violence rules and regulations,” Early said. An email seeking comment on the investigation was sent to a spokesperson for Early’s office Wednesday.Police identified the woman as Karen Solomon and did not name the officer. Thomas Duffy, the president of the local police union, identified the officer as Kurt Solomon. Police did not describe the relationship between the two.“When you serve 31 years with an individual, you become more than co-workers. You become family, and today we lost a member of our family,” Duffy told reporters Tuesday. “Just a tremendous human being. Extremely committed. Always reliable. Always dedicated to the job and to the citizens.” He added, “It’s a very difficult time. His loss is deeply being felt by the men and women of this department right now.” Karen Solomon is a co-founder of an organization called First H.E.L.P., the organization said in a statement Tuesday night.The group “is dedicated to honoring the service of first responders who have died by suicide, supporting their families, reducing the stigma associated with seeking mental-health assistance, and increasing awareness of mental-health challenges within the law-enforcement and first-responder communities,” it said.“Our first concern is for the officer who lost his life, his family, his colleagues, and the Worcester law-enforcement community,” the group said in its statement. “We extend our deepest condolences to all those affected by this tragedy.” First H.E.L.P. said the circumstances surrounding the Worcester investigation “are an active matter for law enforcement” and the group will have no further comment on it.