RUSKIN, Fla. — Hillsborough County Sheriff Chad Chronister says he and his deputies are mourning the loss of one of their own who they say took his own life.
The sheriff's office says it got a 911 call around 7 p.m. Wednesday from a family member of 49-year-old Deputy Christopher Former. The person said Former had called a family member and made suicidal threats over the phone, the agency said in a news release.
Deputies say they went to Former's Mira Lago neighborhood home in Ruskin and made contact with him briefly. Former then barricaded himself inside his home, according to the sheriff's office.
For hours, deputies and negotiators say they worked to bring Former out of his home peacefully.
Just after 11 p.m., deputies say SWAT went into the home and found Former dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
The sheriff's office says Former had worked with the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office for 23 years and most recently served as a community resource deputy in the Ruskin area.
"My deepest condolences go out to Deputy Former's family and those that knew and loved him," said Chronister in a statement. "While this is a very difficult time for our Sheriff's Office family, it is times like this where we rely on each other and the community for support. Together we will grieve and try to make sense of what happened."
The sheriff's office reminds all its employees there are resources available, including Peer Support and a professional mental health clinician.
Anyone experiencing a mental health crisis is urged to reach out for help. You can contact the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay at 211 or call 911. You can also call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.