Las Vegas Police Officer dies by his own hands days after being charged with three felonies

LAS VEGAS, NV - Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Officer Jake Freeman, 30, was found dead on Sunday, Dec. 31st from a reportedly self-inflicted gunshot wound hours after his arrest on three felony charges.

According to 8News Now, Freeman was arrested by Henderson Police earlier on Sunday and was charged with three felony charges including "aggravated stalking, attempted home invasion, and destroy or injure personal property of another" according to the LVMPD.

8News Now reported he had messaged her repeatedly asking “who she was with.” An officer with the department since 2017, Freeman was placed on suspension while the charges against him were under investigation.

The Review-Journal reported that the Clark County Coroner confirmed Freeman's death as a suicide. The publication explained that Freeman was arrested after his ex-wife contacted police at about 2:50 a.m. on New Year's Eve and reported that he was banging on the front door and window of her parents' house calling for her to come outside.

The outlet noted that Freeman's ex-wife had moved back in with her parents in October after filing for divorce, citing Freeman's behavior and alleging verbal abuse according to a police report. The New Year's Eve incident took place three days after the divorce was finalized and was the culmination of several months of stalking police said, adding that Freeman had ignored his ex-wife's requests that he not contact her.



The report obtained by the Review-Journal said that Freeman's actions toward his former wife had caused her to feel “terrorized, frightened, intimidated, harassed and fearful for her immediate safety and the immediate safety of her family.”

The report narrative outlined that after being confronted by officers outside his ex-wife's parent's home, Freeman was placed under arrest. "The harassment only stopped once HPD officers arrived on the scene,” the arrest report explained.

The LVMPD officer was booked at the Henderson Detention Center at 4:38 a.m. local time and was released on bail at 5:00 p.m., police told the Review-Journal.

KTNV reported that Freeman was released after a mandatory 12-hour hold and that Freeman did undergo medical and mental health screenings. A witness to a December 21 confrontation between the couple at a Christmas party told police that after the divorce Freeman had made suicidal threats saying, "I don't have anything left to live for" and "Things are not good. I should just end it."

One hour and 39 minutes later, police responded to a call at his residence found Freeman dead.

The Fraternal Order of Police recommends several resources via The Officer Wellness Committee. "In times of crisis, the NFOP wants to ensure that each officer has a competent place to turn for help. The Officer Wellness Committee engages in a thorough vetting process of available resources, and has deemed these hotlines vetted and approved for our members."
 
  • Law Enforcement Officers in crisis can Text BLUE to 741741
  • The Suicide & Crisis Lifeline is 988
  • CopLine An Officer's Lifeline can be reached at 1-800-267-5463
    • “Cops understand Cops. We’ve been exposed to similar situations in our careers. Whether you’re active duty or retired and feel like no one understands what you're going through, we want to answer your CALL.”
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