WORCESTER, MA — Police in Worcester are searching for Karen Solomon after her husband, veteran officer Kurt Solomon, was found dead at their home Tuesday morning.
Chief Paul Saucier said the 58-year-old woman is presumed to be armed and dangerous. Investigators said she was last seen walking toward Westcott Street wearing pajama shorts and a tank top.
Anyone who sees her or has information is being told to call police immediately.
Officer found dead after early morning medical call
Officers responded just before 5:30 a.m. Tuesday to the couple’s home on Wildwood Avenue after a call about a medical situation. The officer was later identified by the police union as 57-year-old Kurt Solomon.
Authorities have not released further details about how he died. Officials also said they could not discuss the relationship between the officer and Karen Solomon because of state domestic violence laws, though sources told WBZ-TV they were married.
Kurt Solomon had served on the Worcester Police Department for 31 years and had two adult sons.
Police and federal agencies widen search across the neighborhood
Worcester police sent a reverse 911 alert to residents within a 2.5-mile radius of the scene. The area also saw a heavy law enforcement presence Tuesday as the search continued.
Resources included a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter, along with personnel from Homeland Security and the U.S. Marshals Service. Worcester County District Attorney Joseph D. Early Jr. said authorities wanted Solomon for questioning and were working to determine what happened inside the home.
Early said the search was urgent because investigators believed a potentially armed person could still be in the neighborhood.
Colleagues remember Kurt Solomon as a respected department veteran
Officer Thomas Duffy, president of NEPBA Local 911, said Solomon was close to retirement and had become much more than a coworker to many on the force.
Duffy said the department had lost a member of its family, describing Solomon as a loved and respected officer with 31 years of service.
Neighbors on Tuesday said the couple had lived in the area for years and said they were stunned by the news. One longtime resident called Kurt Solomon an “awesome guy” and said he often saw him walking in the neighborhood.
Karen Solomon has worked on first responder mental health issues
Karen Solomon has a public history of work involving first responder wellness. In a 2016 WBZ-TV interview, she discussed efforts to develop an app for police officers in crisis.
She also wrote the book Hearts Beneath the Badge, which highlights positive acts by law enforcement, and founded First H.E.L.P., an organization focused on the mental health crisis among first responders.
The group offers training and family support, tracks first responder suicides nationwide, and advocates for change at the state and federal levels.
From the Twin Cities to the border and back, Travel Your Way keeps Minnesota informed.