SWAT delivers a heartbreaking look at police suicide

SWAT Season 3, Episode 18 tackled a difficult storyline with raw honesty. It’s time to get rid of the stigma and talk about police suicide.

There are some storylines that people like to avoid. They’re too difficult to cover and make too many people uncomfortable. SWAT takes on heartbreaking and emotionally raw storylines now and then. Season 3, Episode 18 was a chance to break down the stigma of police suicide.

We knew going into the episode that this was going to be a hard one. The promo made it clear that the team feared Buck would kill himself.

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The one thing that gave them that idea was Buck had phoned the suicide hotline. He’d only been on the phone for a minute, which suggests he phoned and quickly hung up, but it was clear that Buck was walking the line.

Going through the episode, we had no idea how it was all going to play out. We watched the various team members talk to a counselor and, on many occasions, they referred to Buck in the past tense. It hinted that they had been too late.

Fortunately, they hadn’t been. Buck is safe. He’s getting the help that he desperately needs. But the conversation isn’t ending here. You see, Buck isn’t the only one with suicidal thoughts.

Deacon admitted to the counselor that he’s had suicidal thoughts in the past. The counselor told him how strong he was for sharing his story, and it’s not going to end there. Deacon wants to make talking a semi-regular thing. This is where we’re breaking down the barriers and getting rid of the stigma.

It’s the stigma of suicide that stops people from talking. They’re scared of how people will react; of the judgment that occurs.

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During the episode, Hondo points out that cops are more likely to die from suicide than on the job. There are a lot of reasons for this. They struggle with life after the job or they struggle to deal with the things that they’ve seen. Tan commented on how he saw his niece laying on the ground in place of the one-year-old in one call. Calls like that build up and people can make bad choices when they’re at their lowest points.

Talking helps. As much as some want to laugh at that, those who have been through depression or PTSD can testify how much talking has helped them. They’ve been able to let go of the guilt or the dark feelings, pushing their way through to the other side. This is exactly why Deacon wants to meet with a counselor on a semi-regular basis.

Something I appreciated was following up on the help Buck would get. Saving him from taking his own life was just the first step. Now he needs ongoing help to get through to the other side.

If this episode of SWAT does anything, I hope that it helps to raise awareness of police suicide. I don’t think anybody really understands the darkness that someone can feel. And I, for one, didn’t know that police are more likely to kill themselves than die on the job. It set the tone for the episode from that moment.

It’s time to remove the stigma. You’re stronger for talking.

SWAT Season 3 continues on Wednesdays at 10/9c on CBS.