Off-Duty St. Pete Officer Dead in Possible Suicide

A 23-year-old off-duty St. Petersburg Police Officer’s death is under investigation by the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office.

According to the sheriff’s office, deputies received a call early Monday morning about a disturbance at an apartment on 47th Avenue North. When deputies arrived at the residence, Mary Arrowood, 31, told them she had been in a verbal argument with her live-in boyfriend, Ryan Clark.

Clark, who was hired by the police department in 2012, had left the home on foot before deputies arrived on the scene, an email to media stated.

Deputies began to search for Clark and found him dead near the intersection of 47th Avenue North and 80th Street North shortly after 4 a.m. with “what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound,” the email said. Clark had his department-issued firearm with him.

At this time, detectives say the death does not appear to be suspicious. They are, however, waiting on an autopsy report to make a final determination.

St. Petersburg Police Chief Anthony Holloway noted Clark’s death in an email to staff members.

“It is with heavy hearts that I inform you of the death of our employee, Officer Ryan Clark,” Holloway wrote. “He started his career with us on December 10, 2012. Needless to say, we will all miss him more than words can express. He was not just our co-worker but our good friend as well.”

With an estimated 40,000 deaths attributed to suicide annually, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention lists this as the 10th leading cause of death in the United States. In 2010 alone, there were an average of 105 suicides reported daily across the country.

If you or someone you know is considering suicide, there are resources available to help.

The National Suicide Prevention Lifeline is available 24 hours a day at 1-800-SUICIDE (1-800-784-2433). Its website offers services including a live chat.

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