Dan Pagnotta Death / Obituary | Dead – Dies | Cause Of Death – Passed Away | Died
Dan Pagnotta Death / Obituary – A veteran Trenton NJ, Police Officer, Dan Pagnotta was pronounced dead on Wednesday, July 29, 2020, following an apparent suicide.
A great man who served as a Police Officer for 21 years, Dan Pagnotta died of wounds succumbed from gunshot after he shot himself at a parking lot on Wednesday. Our prayers, thoughts condolences are with the loved ones of the deceased for the great loss. We are yet to observed the deceased obituary, all further details concerning this news will be updated upon confirmation.
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Reactions And Sharing On Social Media Concerning Dan Pagnotta Passing
OK people I have had enough suicide with young people I know! If you need help or support contact me! I can & want to help! Say something!! RIP Sgt. Dan Pagnotta
— John O’Rourke (@KGJOR) July 30, 2020
Written today by my dear friend
David Berez. He is pictured below with the late Det. Sgt. Dan Pagnotta.“The Darkness at the End of the Road
When the roads of hurt, anger and betrayal intersect, the streetlights can only shed so much light. No matter how hard you try to navigate through the darkness to find the right path forward, we can be blinded by our own emotion and go full throttle into a dead end. Here we find ourselves at a point of no return, no matter how bright the light shines.Today, my friend came to this intersection and chose to hit the brick wall head on at the end of the road. He made this choice, knowing he was to leave behind what mattered most to him, his two young children. He made this choice knowing the hurt they would now endure. One can only imagine having to make that decision. What were the other factors that rose above living in a hurt locker, only to place your children in their own?As Police Officers we face fear every day. We face horror the eyes can never un-see, we hear sounds that will keep you up at night and we endure tragedy that will take a lifetime to process. Yet, we press forward each and every day, living with the nightmares and the guilt, yet we drive on to get to tomorrow because someone else will need us again.Where our road ends, is at the brick the wall of betrayal and the subsequent distrust that follows. When it comes from your boss, you tend to check out of work. When it comes from your partner, you kick them out of your car. When it comes from a friend, you delete them from your life. When it’s your spouse, the burden can be too big to bear. You shield your kids and divert the focus. That diversion came by the way of suicide today as my friend saw no path forward.I will never understand why the daily calls and texts of support, the plans we made only a few days prior that were only a few days from now, the next youth sports event, the next vacation, the next birthday, the next whatever… was not enough to light your path and overcome the darkness. So many cared so much to help you see, and still the only light you were able to turn to was that of the Eternal.Today so many hearts are broken as you have found your Peace. I will never know the hurt you endured, the trust you lost or the love that failed you. I will also never know how it is possible that the love of your children was not enough to get you through. May the demons that plagued you, have also died with you. May those who loved you and cared for you find comfort in the memories they share of your laughter, sarcasm, good heart and caring sole for others.Police Officers deal with the unthinkable, and in this time of culture war against the very individuals we depend on to protect us from evil, we have left them in the dark, at an intersection of life that has no light at all. They have lost trust in the public, from whom they were betrayed. They have lost trust in their leadership, from whom they were betrayed. And now they lose trust in loved ones, from whom they were betrayed. Just remember my brothers and sisters, we will always have each other, from whom you will never be betrayed.Sadly, I believe that there will be many more Police Officers unable to see the light through the darkness. However, I will always be there to answer the phone if you call. Just be strong enough to make the call. From there I will take your hand, and we will walk together out of the darkness and into a place of light.
Rest easy Dan and may your memory always be a blessing. While I won’t see you on Friday as we planned, I will still share a beer with you, talking about you, instead of with you. I’ll miss you, bro!!
It may not seem like a lot to some (I don’t know how it couldn’t) but in the last 4 years alone, I’ve lost 4 friends who were police officers due to SUICIDE. Such an ugly word. They were all beautiful people. Beautiful souls who touched the lives of SO MANY in positive ways. Yet somehow they felt their lives were not worth living. Ed Leopardi, Tom White, Pablo Santiago and now Dan Pagnotta. They were fathers, sons, husbands, brothers and brothers in blue to so many. They saved lives and brought the feeling of safety to so many but still felt they couldn’t go on.
I’ve worked as a mentor, counselor, EMT and now nurse who is trained to intervene for those in crisis and yet for all but one of these men I didn’t see the signs until it was too late. I’m haunted by all of them wondering “could we have stopped them?”. I honestly, and unfortunately, don’t think we could have. Maybe we could have saved one, but this last one put me over the edge.What the HELL is wrong with our society that mental health cannot get the attention it NEEDS? I see it daily in the ER. Patients struggling with the feeling that they don’t WANT or DESERVE to live. The only fortunate side to this is that they’ve been able to, or had someone reach out to get help. Will they get it? Only momentarily. Usually not enough to keep us from seeing them again.Our officers (and all first responders) devote their lives to serving their community, yet they CAN’T and WON’T reach out when they feel life isn’t worth living because the stigma of depression and Suicide and NEEDING help would be forever stamped on them. The fear of losing their livelihood, the trust of their brothers and sisters, being seen as “weak” would tarnish their reputation forever. Why is that? Why can’t we change our society ways of thinking to save the ones we love? I have been numb since hearing the news of Dan’s death yesterday within minutes of waking up but am in tears writing this.I wasn’t close friends with him but I worked closely with him for 7 years on the streets at night. He always had a smile but close, watchful eye over me and my partner when treating gunshot victims, stabbing victims or those in car wrecks. He would have stepped in at any moment to save MY life if need be. I knew him to be a private person on FB. Only posting the hysterical, borderline inappropriately funny jokes and posts to his friends. I noticed a sudden change. A “cry for help” if you will, in his posts. Talking about his private life which he NEVER did unless it was to say how much he loved his family. I reached out to him last Friday to chat. Promise him that it would get better. We talked about our kids, our fathers being Trenton cops together. We talked about his vacation to OBX with his kids that he almost took alone but said his kids deserved it more. We talked about the city we served and loved so much. But looking back, only I talked about the future. I gave him my number. I told him that I knew he had a lot of friends and strong support system, but if he needed anyone who wasn’t “too close” to talk to please call or text or FB message me anytime day or night.His exact words “Appreciate that. 100%. Thank you! Will do!”Unfortunately I never heard from him again.Do I blame myself? No. Do I blame him? Definitely no. He was an amazing person who was just broken. We all tried to help. I’ve read all of his FB posts top to bottom. We were all there for him. We tried. We may have thought for a split second this was more than a normal “phase of life” but nothing screamed INTERVENE. Not until the end.I’m writing this to vent myself but also for so many of my friends and family of TPD and other first responders who knew and loved him so well. PLEASE talk about Dan. Talk about Ed, Tom and Pablo. Remember the great times but also realize how much you wish they were still here with us so we can hopefully stop the next one from no longer being with us. No longer being a father, son, husband and friend. Stop mocking or talking about those who do reach out for help and instead, ENCOURAGE it.
I walked outside today and felt the heat of the sun and saw the beautiful clouds and the very first thing I thought of was “Dan is missing this.” And “Oh god his kids no longer have their father.” Please help stop this so I don’t have to have a “5th year in a row”.
Very “well written!! I come from a home of many police officers i somewhat understand! This was beautiful i am so deeply sorry for your loss! My prayers go out to his Family & Friends! God Bless!!
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