The wife of a police officer, considered “presumed armed and dangerous,” is being pursued in connection with her husband’s death. She was captured on video calmly leaving their home shortly before his body was discovered. Karen Solomon, 58, left her residence in Worcester, Massachusetts, just before authorities arrived and found her husband, 57-year-old veteran patrolman Kurt Solomon, deceased while attending to a medical emergency early Tuesday.
Surveillance footage reveals Karen walking away in casual attire—T-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops—at 5:41 a.m. on Tuesday, merely ten minutes after police received an emergency call from their home.
“The Worcester Police Department is still actively searching for her and continues to believe she is armed,” the department stated while releasing the footage, urging the public to stay vigilant.
The cause of Kurt’s death, a 31-year veteran of the Worcester Police Department and father of two adult sons, remains undisclosed. As of Thursday morning, Karen had not been charged.
Prior to this manhunt, Karen was known as an active community member, advocating for first responders and their families. She is the founder and president of First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit organization dedicated to reducing the stigma surrounding mental health issues among police officers and first responders, as well as promoting suicide awareness.
Additionally, she authored two books, “Hearts Beneath the Badge” and “The Price They Pay,” over a decade ago, focusing on the mental health struggles and suicides of officers. Her biography on First H.E.L.P. highlights her dedication to sharing the stories of families who have lost officers to suicide and those suffering in silence.
In a 2016 interview with CBS Boston, Karen shared that her motivation to tell officers’ stories stemmed from a conversation with her son, who questioned why a classmate said police kill people without reason.
She created a website, 1stHelp.Net, offering resources for first responders facing mental, physical, or financial challenges. Karen was also involved in the 2018 Officer Safety and Wellness Group Meeting hosted by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and co-chaired the Data and Research Committee of the National Consortium on Law Enforcement Suicide Prevention.
In 2023, she received the Community Hero Award from the Greg Hill Foundation, a Massachusetts organization aiding families affected by tragedies, for her relentless support of first responders, according to the organization.
The Worcester County District Attorney’s Office stated that Karen is wanted “for questioning” regarding her husband’s death.
Officer Thomas Duffy, President of NEPBA Local 911, remarked that Kurt was a distinguished department member nearing retirement.
