Bay Area Cop Dies in Apparent Suicide at Station, Leaves Five Children

Tiburon police sergeant Sean Christopher died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound while on duty at a police station on Dec. 12.

Christopher was reportedly alone in a police locker room around 12:45 p.m. Monday when he took his own life, officials told the Tiburon newspaper, The Ark.

Christopher had joined the Tiburon Police Department in February 2019, and worked as a Marin County Sheriff’s Deputy, according to his LinkedIn profile.

Tiburon is a well-to-do area in the North Bay, with relatively little crime compared with several other Bay Area cities, with just four violent crimes reported to Tiburon police in 2020, according to FBI data from that year, the latest published data available.

Police suicide is an issue in cities around the Bay Area. The Standard reported in June that a San Francisco officer under investigation by the city's police department for wrongdoing committed suicide while experiencing acute mental health issues.

Christopher was 46 years old and is survived by his wife and five children, The Ark reports.

A fundraiser started by the Tiburon Police Association is aiming to raise $50,000 to support the family. Christopher's family have also started a fundraising page.

"We are extraordinarily sad to report the loss of Sergeant Sean Christopher. He was found deceased at the Tiburon Police Department with what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound," said Tiburon police chief Ryan M. Monaghan. "Out of respect for Sgt. Christopher’s family and coworkers as well as the investigation being led by the Marin County Sheriff’s Office, we cannot make any additional comments at this time."

Tiburon's mayor and the Marin County Sheriff’s Department were contacted for comment.