Authorities Suspect San Angelo Officer Shot Himself at Police HQ

A San Angelo police officer died of an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday at police headquarters.Sgt. Freddy Dietz Jr., 53, was found in a private office about 10:41 a.m. and was pronounced dead at the scene. Dietz Jr. was on the force since 1983, the San Angelo Standard Times reports.His father, Fred Dietz Sr. was also a San Angelo officer from 1966 and retired as a lieutenant in 1997, the newspaper reported.“He started out when he was just 19 years old,” Dietz Sr. said to the Standard Times. “I was real proud of him being a police officer. He did a lot of good.”He was trying to understand what happened and said his son loved being a police officer.Dietz Jr., who was an administrative sergeant at the time of his death, was the first D.A.R.E. officer SAPD had and spoke to students to prevent drug and alcohol, former police Chief Tim Vasquez told the newspaper. "He was more than a coworker or employee,” Vasquez said. “He was my friend first, and I loved him dearly.”Dietz Jr. was also awarded officer of the year in 2016."It's hard to say why there [at the the police station], why at all," Vasquez said. "He was such a compassionate person. He was a jokester, always laughing and smiling."Former Assistant Chief Robert Martinez said once when they worked at a carnival, either he or Dietz would stop and talk to someone they knew."Sgt. Dietz is the type of officer who once you met him, you'd never forget him or his smile," Martinez said. "After 33 years, the San Angelo Police Department was [his] second home."The Lubbock County Medical Examiner's Office will conduct an autopsy, a news release said. Texas Ranger Todd Reed of the Texas Department of Public Safety is assisting with the investigation.  Continue reading...