Worcester police pause search for woman after officer found dead
Authorities in Worcester, Massachusetts, have temporarily halted the hunt for Karen Solomon, who is considered armed and dangerous, following the discovery of her husband, Patrolman Kurt Solomon, dead at their home.
Worcester police suspended Thursday afternoon their search for Karen Solomon, a 58-year-old woman described as armed and dangerous, after finding her husband, Patrolman Kurt Solomon, dead at their Wildwood Avenue residence early Tuesday. Solomon, a 57-year-old officer with 31 years of service, left behind two adult sons.
Investigators say Solomon was last seen in pajama shorts and a tank top, and video released by police shows her near the Westside Animal Clinic around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, wearing flip-flops and a ponytail. State police marine units, helicopters, and a local K-9 team searched the nearby Coes Reservoir on Thursday before ending the effort, with plans to resume on Friday.
"You got a person in the neighborhood, in the area, presumed to be armed and dangerous. You want to do everything you can to find that person as quickly as possible, and also find out exactly what happened at the house that evening," Worcester County District Attorney Joseph Early said.
Officials have asked the public to contact police if they see Solomon and to avoid approaching her. Solomon co-founded First H.E.L.P., an organization that raises awareness of mental-health issues among first responders. The group issued a statement expressing condolences for the officer’s family and the law-enforcement community.