PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — The wife of a Pinellas County Sheriff's Office deputy who took his own life last week is speaking out, calling for additional resources to help first responders who struggle with the toll of the job the way her husband did.
- Kevin Levi, 15-year-veteran of Sheriff's Office, took his own life on January 28
- Donate to GoFundMe campaign to help Deputy Levi's family
- More Pinellas County stories
Lauren Levi looks through photos of her husband Kevin with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes.
“He’s FaceTiming [our dog] Kane, and like I said, they’re our kids," she explains. "It’s hard to imagine that he’s not going to be here with us."
Kevin Levi was a 15-year veteran of the Pinellas County Sheriff’s Office. He took his own life last Tuesday night.
And as Lauren lives through the darkest point in her life, she wants to shed light on an important topic.
“Something that a lot of people don’t understand is that cops are regular people just like us," she said. "They’re regular people. Nobody’s brains are made to see the things that they see on a daily basis."
She says the stigma surrounding law enforcement and first responders reaching out for help needs to be erased, and she plans to fight for more resources for people serving in those roles battling mental illness.
“He asked me that no matter what happened to him, to be strong for him and to be strong, and I’m trying to honor that best that I can," she told us. "And that’s why I’m doing this to share his story, to share my story, and I hope that this is the first step to helping others."
Lauren went on to say she wishes the sheriff's office would have done more both before and after Kevin’s death.
In a statement to Spectrum Bay News 9, the agency said they are doing what they can to help the family, adding, “Kevin was a part of our family as he was a part of theirs and we share in their loss.”
The funeral will be held on Sunday at 4 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on Gandy Boulevard, and is open to the public.
In the meantime, a GoFundMe campaign is underway to help Levi's family with funeral costs. To learn more or to make a donation, click HERE.