Story updated Aug. 19 11:58 a.m.
A more than three-decade veteran of the Worcester Police Department was found dead at a Wildwood Avenue home early Tuesday morning, prompting a large-scale search involving local, state and federal law enforcement for a 58-year-old woman authorities say should be considered armed and dangerous.
The New England Police Benevolent Association identified the officer Wednesday as Kurt Solomon, describing him as a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department and a member of NEPBA Local 911.
Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier confirmed during a Tuesday afternoon news conference that the victim was an off-duty Worcester police officer who had served as a patrol officer for 30 years.
Police responded to Wildwood Ave. at approximately 5:28 a.m. for a report of a person down, Saucier said. Officers arrived and found Solomon dead at the residence, later stating that he appeared to have been “killed with a sharp object.”
Police are continuing to search for Karen Solomon, 58, who authorities say was at the home and is wanted for questioning about what happened there.
In a statement Wednesday, NEPBA said Kurt Solomon had dedicated more than three decades to serving Worcester and was known as “an incredibly dependable officer, colleague and friend.”
“His loss is being felt deeply throughout the Worcester Police Department, NEPBA Local 911 and our entire Association,” the organization said.
The association said its thoughts were with Solomon’s sons, Niklas and Brandon; his mother, Shirley; his brothers, Karl and Eric; and his other family members, friends and fellow officers.
“Thirty-one years of service represents an extraordinary commitment to a community and to the profession of law enforcement,” NEPBA said in its statement. “Officer Kurt Solomon answered that call for more than three decades, and his service, friendship and dedication will not be forgotten.”
Karen Solomon is the founder and president of First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit organization focused on reducing the stigma surrounding mental health among first responders and addressing suicide within the profession.
According to her biography on the organization’s website, Solomon has spent years working on issues involving law enforcement suicide, post-traumatic stress and officer wellness. She is the author of “Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay,” both focused on law enforcement and the experiences of officers and their families.
Solomon has also served as co-chair of the Data and Research Committee of the National Consortium on Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention and participated in federal efforts surrounding the Law Enforcement Suicide Data Collection Act, according to First H.E.L.P. Her biography describes her as the wife of a police officer.
The organization traces its origins to 2017 and initially focused on law enforcement before expanding its mission to include first responders more broadly. First H.E.L.P. says its work includes mental health education, advocacy for first responders suffering from post-traumatic stress, assistance for officers seeking help and support for families of first responders who have died by suicide.
John Salerno, a First H.E.L.P. member in Texas, told the Worcester Guardian that he and Solomon have worked together for years.
“Karen and our organization erected the 1st suicide memorial here in Texas and go back a long time,” Salerno told the Guardian.
First H.E.L.P. acknowledged the investigation and search for its co-founder in a statement Tuesday, saying its “first concern is for the officer who lost his life, his family, his colleagues, and the Worcester law-enforcement community.”
The organization also addressed the potential impact of the investigation on the law enforcement officers, first responders and families it has worked with over the years.
“We understand that the current circumstances may be deeply affecting members of this community, particularly those who have placed their trust in First H.E.L.P. during some of the most difficult moments of their lives,” the organization said in the statement. “We remain committed to supporting those families and honoring the trust they have placed in our organization.”
First H.E.L.P. said its mission remains unchanged and that its board is focused on maintaining the continuity and independence of its programs and services. The organization said it would have no further comment on the circumstances of the investigation while it remains active.
City property records list Karen Solomon and Kurt Solomon as co-owners of the Wildwood Ave. home where he was found dead, according to the Telegram & Gazette. First H.E.L.P. also identifies Karen Solomon in its biography as the wife of a police officer.
“[Karen Solomon] is presumed to be armed and dangerous,” Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early Jr. said during Tuesday’s news conference.
Karen Solomon is described as a white woman with dark brown hair and brown eyes. Police said she was last seen wearing pajama shorts and a tank top and walking toward Westcott Street.
Authorities urged anyone who encounters her not to approach her and instead immediately call police.
Saucier said Worcester police issued a reverse-911 alert covering an area of approximately 2½ miles around the scene as the search continued Tuesday afternoon.
The effort has brought together a sizable collection of local, state and federal resources. Early said all available Worcester Police Department resources were being used in the search, along with Massachusetts State Police units, including its Air Wing, search teams, K-9 teams and troopers assigned to the Worcester County District Attorney’s Office. Several reports indicate an active search in the area of Coes Pond. Federal agencies assisting include Homeland Security Investigations, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Marshals Service, Early said. Saucier said the FBI had also contacted Worcester police and offered assistance if needed.
“At times like this, we all come together and try to make sure we have a resolution,” Saucier said.
Early stressed that the investigation was still in its earliest stages and said authorities were limited in what they could disclose because the death was being investigated as a domestic violence case.
“With regard to this case, we want her for questioning,” Early said of Solomon. “She was at the house. We’d be able to ask her with regard to what happened at the house, what went on at the house.”
Authorities had not announced any criminal charges against Solomon.
Police were also executing a search warrant at the Wildwood Avenue residence Tuesday afternoon, Saucier said. Authorities have not disclosed how Kurt Solomon died or provided further details about the circumstances surrounding his death.
WCVB reported earlier Tuesday that aerial footage from its Sky5 helicopter showed investigators gathered at a gray-and-white ranch-style home on Wildwood Ave., with a crime scene tent erected in the backyard.
Early called the officer’s death “a tragedy” but said authorities could not provide additional details while the investigation and search remained underway.
Saucier also asked for privacy for the officer’s family while police work to locate Solomon and determine what occurred.
In its statement Wednesday, NEPBA similarly urged the public to respect the ongoing investigation as authorities continue working “to determine exactly what occurred and locate the individual being sought.”
Police are asking anyone who sees Karen Solomon not to approach her and to contact the Worcester Police Department at 508-799-8606 or call 911.
Police are asking anyone who sees Solomon to not approach her and to contact the Worcester Police Department at 508-799-8606 or call 911.
The investigation remains active. The Worcester Guardian will update this story as additional information becomes available.
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