WORCESTER, MA — Family, fellow officers and community members said goodbye Wednesday to a veteran police officer remembered for more than three decades of service to the city.
A funeral Mass for Officer Kurt Solomon, 57, began at 11 a.m. Wednesday at Our Lady of the Angels Church on Main Street.
He was found dead at his home last week after suffering injuries caused by a sharp object, according to Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier. His wife, Karen Solomon, was later found dead after a multi-day search connected to the investigation.
A burial was scheduled to follow at Worcester County Memorial Park in Paxton.
Worcester police warned drivers about temporary road closures and traffic delays near the church between 9:45 a.m. and 1 p.m. Wednesday. Parking was prohibited on Main Street from Curtis Parkway to Park Avenue during the services.
Hundreds of police officers and community members also attended visiting hours at the church on Tuesday evening.
Solomon was a Worcester native, Army veteran and father of two. He attended Gates Lane School and South High School before studying criminal justice at Quinsigamond Community College, according to his obituary.
The New England Police Benevolent Association described Solomon as a dependable officer, colleague and friend who earned the respect of those who served alongside him.
"Thirty-one years of service represents an extraordinary commitment to a community and to the profession of law enforcement," the organization said.
Solomon enjoyed golfing, fishing, gardening, running and biking, according to his obituary. He also donated vegetables from his garden to the Worcester County Food Bank. He is survived by his sons, Niklas and Brandon, his mother, Shirley, and his brothers, Karl and Eric.
"He will be remembered for his many years of service to his country and his community, his witty sense of humor, and the pleasures he found on the street he lived on his whole life," his obituary reads
The Solomon family asked that memorial contributions be made to the Worcester Animal Rescue League or Worcester County Food Bank in place of flowers.
On Aug. 18, officers responded to the Wildwood Avenue home in Worcester at about 5:28 a.m. after receiving a report of a person down, police said. Officer Solomon, who was off duty at the time, was found dead at the property.
Police later said Solomon suffered fatal injuries from a sharp object.
An arrest warrant was issued for his wife, Karen Solomon, 58, on a charge of assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury, authorities said. Police considered her "armed and dangerous" during a six-day search involving Worcester police, Massachusetts State Police and federal agencies.
A body believed to be Karen Solomon was found Monday in woods behind Fairlawn Rehabilitation Hospital on May Street, Chief Saucier said during a news conference on Monday.
Two hospital employees reported finding the body, and a handgun that was not a Worcester police service weapon was found nearby, according to police.
Formal identification by the state medical examiner was still pending when police announced the discovery Monday.
Chief Saucier said investigators believe the deaths were part of a "tragic murder-suicide." Police also said the Solomon family had no known history of domestic abuse.
"The nightmare of the past week has left our family heartbroken and rudderless. The compassion, dedication, and empathy of all the agencies involved have given us light in the face of darkness," the Solomon family wrote in a statement read by Chief Saucier at the news conference. "For those in Massachusetts, and throughout the world who have offered up prayers and sympathies, they have helped us through each minute of the day. Thank you for your basic human compassion."
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