(LEX 18) — The wife of Nicholasville Police Officer, who took his own life back in February, is speaking out about her husband's death while advocating for more mental health resources for officers.
Christina Ruggiero and her late husband, Nicholasville Police Officer Anthony Ruggiero, would have celebrated their 14th wedding anniversary this July. They share four kids together.
"He was very loving," Ruggiero said. "He told me about everyday, every hour I'd get a text you know saying 'I love you' and just being at home even if I was in the same room as him. He'd look over and say 'I love you babe.'"
Anthony Ruggiero was ex-military, first enlisting in 2006 and then joining the Jessamine County Fire District in 2007. He was also a part of the Jessamine County Dispatch before becoming a Nicholasville Police Officer for nine years.
"He'd finish something and he'd always wanted to do the next best thing or make things better. Everybody knew him, he drove the copsicle truck along with a few others, and he really enjoyed doing that," Christina said.
She described her husband as someone who was determined and always gave people second chances.
Christina's life was ripped away in February when Anthony took his own life at home.
"I kind of knew something was off because right before we had come down, he'd gotten really upset. He just got really emotional and I'd asked him what was wrong and he hugged me and said 'Nothing.' He said 'I'm okay. I'm sorry.' Just out of the blue."
Last week, the Frankfort Police Department launched an app, Cordico, to provide Frankfort officers, retirees, and their spouses with mental health resources. Frankfort Assistant Chief of Police Scott Tracy says the app includes topics like finances, diet and fitness, crisis lines, peer support, and so much more.
"You're talking about the average person, they're going to see between one to three traumatic events in their life. Truly traumatic events, the average police officer in a 20-year career is going to see somewhere between seven and eight hundred," Tracy said. “About midway through my career I went to a really bad scene and I didn’t think it affected me the night it happened. But about six months later, I went back to the same street. Totally unrelated call, had nothing to do with the previous. But as soon as I got out of the car, all of those things rushed back to me. “
A grant funds the app, and everyone shares a single login, so all calls are made anonymously.
"I kind of came up through that old school mentality that you just shove those feelings down," Tracy said. "You know, be a man about it, that hard kind of mentality of this is just part of the job, and you kind of move on."
The Cordico app is an option that Christina thinks could have helped her husband.
She also extends her heartfelt gratitude to the Nicholasville Police, who have been by her side during this time.
"I feel like they should be required to have to do, you know, at least meet with a counselor because my husband wasn't the type of guy who would've went to someone and say hey, this is really bothering me," Christinia said.
"As leaders, we can't ignore the problem," Tracy said. "We know that this is a problem, so we have to address it."
He hopes police departments across Kentucky will see the app and be inspired to reach out to him for more information.
The Cordico app could truly make a difference in law enforcement's mental health, and Tracy says no one should be afraid to speak up or talk about the situations they face.
