Carmen Maldonado, Chicago PD Officer Dead via Suicide Mourned by Friends and Family

Carmen Maldonado, a 9-year veteran officer with the Chicago Police Department, has died.

Maldonado’s friends and family have been mourning her on social media following her tragic demise. Her cause was death was reportedly via su*c*de. She was 35 years old.

Maldonado’s best friend and fellow officer, Calla Roulds, who got married over the weekend with Maldonado in attendance, announced her passing in shock after hearing the news.

Sharing numerous photos of them together, some just a few days prior at her wedding, Roulds expressed shock at the news that Carmen had taken her own life.

“Omg , omg can someone plz tell me this isn’t real. I love you, you were my bff. I’m so sorry I wasn’t there for you,” her post read.

Carmen shared another grieving post, simply writing: “She (Carmen) was too good for this earth,”

Details of Maldonado’s death are currently not forthcoming but numerous friends lament the toll her work as a police officer and first responder took on her mental health.

In a passionate rant, a friend of Carmen’s called out the authoriites for failing to do enough to protect their officers and first responders from the trauma they often have to deal with.

Jennifer Carolina angrily wrote: “@brandon4chicago @joincpd @chicagopolicememorialfdn it’s time to do better for our officers! Canceling their days, over working them, not caring about the mental state, and not letting them spend enough time with their loved ones, is wild. Chicago needs to be better,”

Carolina continued: “These officers are people and have lives. Their families suffer as well! …Yes, they chose this career, but stop treating them like they are just a badge number. THEY ARE PEOPLE, who need to be PROTECTED as well!💙 RIP beautiful angel. Thank you for your sacrifice and service.”

Carmen Maldonado joined Chicago PD in August 2015, working with the Department until her death. A highly capable officer, she won several awards during her career including the Superintendent’s Award Of Tactical Excellence in 2018 and the 2019 Crime Reduction Award.