CMPD officer who died by suicide had CTE

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A Charlotte-Mecklenburg Police Department officer who died by suicide in July 2024 may be the first known police officer in the United States to have suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, according to a new report .

Brent Simpson, a K-9 officer, took his own life on July 1 , and his widow learned about his CTE diagnosis earlier this year, she told The New York Times. If confirmed, Simpson would be the first known police officer in the nation to suffer from the degenerative brain disease.

CTE is caused by repeated trauma to the brain and can cause memory problems and behavioral symptoms. The condition has been widely documented in professional athletes, particularly football players, but has rarely been diagnosed in law enforcement officers.

Following Simp