Casper Police Lieutenant Dies From Suicide
CASPER, Wyo. Oct 3 2021– The Casper Police Department says Lieutenant Daniel Dundas died by suicide on Monday afternoon.
In a release issued on Wednesday afternoon, the CPD says his death will be considered “in the line of duty.”
“An abundance of resources were brought to bear on his behalf at the department level, through his family, and indeed, by he himself,” said the announcement on Wednesday afternoon.
“Despite these sincere efforts, our beloved friend, father, son, husband, and community hero took his own life as a direct result of the experiences he had been subjected to while in the service of our community.”
The Casper Police Department announced on Monday that Dundas had died but did not offer a cause at the time. A spokesperson for the department said on Tuesday morning they were in close communication with his family and would make further comments with their input.
“It is for these reasons the Casper Police Department declares, with one unified voice, that Lieutenant Dundas’s untimely death will be treated by this Department as a death incurred as a result of line-of-duty actions,” the post on Wednesday continues.
“Though our hearts are broken, we choose to acknowledge the difficult nature of the profession to which Danny had, with his characteristic gusto and larger-than-life personality, diligently dedicated himself.”
Dundas joined the Casper Police Department in 2008, shortly after graduating from the University of Wyoming. He was committed to community outreach with the CPD and became a popular and recognizable face of the department.
The announcement of his death on Monday was almost immediately followed by an outpouring of grief and support from the community, as well as members of regional police and emergency responders.
The public is welcome to attend a public memorial service for Lt. Dundas on Monday, October 4 at the Ford Wyoming Center starting at 4 p.m. Information on a procession will be issued soon.
The full release issued Wednesday from the Casper Police Department follows:
In the afternoon hours of September 27, 2021, the Casper Police Department suffered the unimaginable loss of Lieutenant Daniel ‘Danny’ Dundas, a thirteen-year veteran of our agency and a life-long member of our community.
Lieutenant Dundas was a beloved member of our Department and, for many people, was the face of the Casper Police Department, especially when he was at community events.
When our citizens thought of what a Casper Police Officer should be, they thought of Danny.
Over the last several days, the Casper Police Department has been in close contact with the Dundas Family during this tragic time to help them any way we are able and to release the following information to the public. The law enforcement profession is an exceptionally rewarding career. It is also an unfortunate truth that law enforcement professionals are expected, by the very communities they serve, to respond to experiences and events, which normal citizens would rarely, or ever be forced to endure. We ask our officers to undergo these traumatic events, over, and over, throughout their entire career.
These burdens are tangible and they impact our officers, the families and loved ones of our officers, and each employee at the department.
During his years of service to our community, like all police officers, Lieutenant Dundas had experienced a wide variety of both positive and negative events, with citizens, victims, and suspects alike. Although all of our police officers are highly trained professionals, they are, first and foremost, humans. The stoic emotions we steadfastly maintain while on duty often crumble when we return to our homes and loved ones.
Lieutenant Dundas had experienced several traumatic events in his career, all of which, individually and collectively, adversely impacted him in a multitude of ways. An abundance of resources were brought to bear on his behalf, at the department level, through his family, and indeed, by he himself. Despite these sincere efforts, our beloved friend, father, son, husband, and community hero took his own life as a direct result of the experiences he had been subjected to while in the service of our community.
It is for these reasons the Casper Police Department declares, with one unified voice, that Lieutenant Dundas’ untimely death will be treated by this Department as a death incurred as a result of line-of-duty actions. Though our hearts are broken, we choose to acknowledge the difficult nature of the profession to which Danny had, with his characteristic gusto and larger-than-life personality, diligently dedicated himself.
This is a tough job. Only the best even attempt to do it. Yet, such service to community comes at a cost, oftentimes at a heavy personal cost, and, all too frequently, those costs can be extremely steep.
The extended Dundas Family and his Casper Police Department Family, share our sincere gratitude to this amazing community for the immense outpouring of support we have received.
We are honored and proud to be a part of Casper, our community.
At the wishes of the Dundas Family, a public memorial service is scheduled and all wishing to pay their respects to Danny are invited to attend. The service will be held on Monday, October 4, 2021 at the Ford Wyoming Center, beginning at 4:00pm.
The Dundas Family asks that attendees wear blue and black or patriotic clothing in honor of Danny. Procession route information will be shared in the coming days.
