Dallas, TX – Dallas County Sheriff’s Deputy Homero Calderon died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound at his residence on June 29.
Deputy Calderon, 40, was off-duty at the time of his death, the Dallas County Sheriff’s Department said in a news release.
“There are no words that can accurately describe the sadness we are experiencing due to his loss,” Dallas County Interim Sheriff Marian Brown said in the statement.
“We, in public safety, have difficult jobs that come with unique challenges and dangers, coupled with regular life stressors that make it easy for us to become overwhelmed,” Sheriff Brown continued. “As law enforcement professionals, we often mask emotion to do our jobs on a day-to-day basis helping people and we forget or ignore that we often need help ourselves.”
Deputy Calderon joined the department as a detention officer at the West Tower Detention Facility in November of 2000, the agency said.
He later graduated from the Sheriff’s Academy and was promoted to Deputy Sheriff in September of 2008.
Deputy Calderon worked in the Dallas County Jail after his graduation, and later served as an investigator in the department’s Warrant Execution Section, the sheriff’s office said.
“Deputy Calderon was an integral part of our law enforcement team and a member of our family at-large,” the statement read. “His death is a shock to us all, and we offer our full support and condolences to his family.”
National Latino Peace Officers Association Dallas County Chapter President Mike Ramirez also extended his condolences in the wake of the deputy’s death.
“It is with a heavy heart to hear of the death of one of our own, Deputy and NLPOA member Homero Calderon,” Ramirez wrote in a Facebook post. “His death has touched us all. Our condolences and Prayers are with him, his family and friends during this difficult time.”
Deputy Calderon was laid to rest on Thursday, according to the sheriff’s department.
Our thoughts and prayers are with the family of Dallas County Sheriff’s Deputy Homero Calderon, both blood and blue. Thank you for your service.