One thing I don't think gets a lot of attention, is the stress that Law officers are under.
They are trying to protect the average citizen from people who may literally shoot them in the back of the head, while at the same time are under intense scrutiny every second of every day, just in case they would muss up some thug's hair. Top it off with turning on the TV, and hearing crowds of people chanting 'Pigs in a blanket, fry them like bacon', and those who are already on the edge, whether due to stress of the job, or family problems, burnout, PTSD, some sort of hormonal or medical imbalance, and the fact that some people just can't take that sort of thing, even if they don't seem to have anything 'wrong' with them, and you have a situation where feelings of hopelessness are likely more common in that profession, than the general public.
My neighbor is a Vietnam Vet, and he said that the way they was treated by the general population pushed him closer to a mental breakdown than his tour of duty. Seems that people who you are trying to protect, telling you that they wished you were dead, can have a profound effect when heard enough times.
