An off-duty Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office deputy was found dead in his backyard from a self-inflicted gunshot wound early Saturday morning.
A PCSO spokesperson said at about 1:07 a.m. on Saturday, deputies were called to a residence located in unincorporated Clearwater for a report of a gunshot heard and a welfare check.
When deputies arrived, they found off-duty Deputy Carlos Felipez, 46, deceased in the backyard of his residence.
Detectives say Deputy Felipez suffered from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. His death is considered a suicide.
Deputy Felipez was hired by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office in 2014 and he worked in the Patrol Operations Bureau.
Deputy Felipez is the third, local first responder to die by suicide in recent weeks. Sadly, suicide claims more first responders than line of duty deaths.
According to a study done by the Ruderman Foundation, in 2017, 93 firefighters died in the line of duty and at least 103 firefighters took their own lives. A total of 129 police officers died in the line of duty and 140 committed suicide.
If you’re thinking about suicide or worried about someone who might be, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-TALK (8255) to connect with a local crisis center. You can also text the Crisis Text Line by messaging 741741. Police officers can text the word BLUE.
