A woman who spent years advocating for police officers and other first responders is now the subject of a multi-agency search after her police officer husband was found dead at their Massachusetts home.
Karen Solomon, 58, is no longer simply being sought for questioning. Worcester Police Chief Paul Saucier announced Friday that authorities have an arrest warrant charging her with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury in connection with the investigation.
Her husband, 57-year-old Worcester Police Patrolman Kurt Solomon, was found dead early Tuesday. Police have not announced a murder charge against Karen Solomon, but Saucier disclosed another significant detail Friday: Kurt’s injuries involved what he described as a “sharp object.” CBS News reported that the warrant had been issued approximately two days before Friday’s announcement.
The case has another unusual element. Karen Solomon spent years working publicly on issues involving law enforcement suicide, trauma, and mental health. She co-founded an organization supporting first responders and their families, wrote books about policing, and worked to reduce the stigma surrounding officers seeking help.
The Search Began Early Tuesday Morning
Image Credit: Worcester Police Department.
Police were called to a home on Wildwood Avenue in Worcester shortly before 5:30 a.m. Tuesday, where they found Kurt Solomon dead.
Solomon was off duty at the time. He had spent 31 years with the Worcester Police Department.
The investigation quickly turned into a search for Karen Solomon. Authorities initially described her as a suspect they wanted to question and warned that she should be considered armed and dangerous.
Surveillance footage released during the search showed a woman identified by police as Karen walking near the Coes Pond area at approximately 5:41 a.m., shortly after officers responded to the Wildwood Avenue home.
The search expanded from there, bringing in local, state, and federal resources.
Personnel from the U.S. Marshals Service and Homeland Security joined the effort, while a U.S. Customs and Border Protection helicopter assisted from the air. Search crews also used divers and sonar around Coes Pond.
By Friday, Worcester officials had closed Coes Pond Parks and Stearns Tavern while the investigation continued. Residents in the area were asked to check garages, sheds, yards, and security-camera footage for anything that could help investigators locate Karen.
Police Now Have a Warrant
The legal status of the search changed before police publicly announced it.
During a Friday news conference, Saucier said an arrest warrant for Karen had been issued approximately two days earlier.
She is charged with assault and battery with a dangerous weapon causing serious bodily injury.
That charge is significant, but so is what authorities have not charged her with.
Karen has not been charged with murder in Kurt’s death. Police have described the warrant and search as connected to the investigation into his death, and the distinction matters while investigators continue building the case.
Saucier did provide some additional information about what officers found.
He said the nature of Kurt’s injuries involved a “sharp object,” but declined to discuss the evidence in greater detail.
Kurt’s police service weapon was found at the residence and was not missing, according to the chief. Authorities nevertheless continue to consider Karen armed and dangerous and have warned anyone who encounters her not to approach.
“We will not stop until we find her,” Saucier said during Friday’s update, according to WCVB.
Dispatch Traffic Adds to the Timeline
Emergency radio traffic obtained by Boston 25 News provides additional context for the first minutes of the investigation.
A dispatcher can be heard reporting around 5:30 a.m. that a caller said there was a man lying in a backyard and that it was unknown whether he was breathing.
Responding officers subsequently reported blood inside the Wildwood Avenue house.
About 20 minutes after the initial dispatch, according to the station, a dispatcher attempted to call the person who had first reported the incident. The voicemail identified the number as belonging to Karen Solomon.
Police have not publicly explained the circumstances surrounding that call or disclosed who physically made it.
The timing places the emergency response and Karen’s subsequent appearance on surveillance footage within a relatively narrow window. Police said footage captured her walking in the area shortly after the incident.
She Spent Years Advocating for Police Officers
Karen’s background makes the case particularly unusual.
Long before the current investigation, she was known within law enforcement circles for work involving officer suicide and mental health.
The Associated Press reported that she co-founded First H.E.L.P., a nonprofit focused on first-responder mental health and supporting first responders and their families.
Her work was not limited to the organization.
An author biography published by Police1 identifies Solomon as a co-founder of Blue H.E.L.P. and creator of 1sthelp.net. It also identifies her as the author of two books, Hearts Beneath the Badge and The Price They Pay, and notes her work writing about law enforcement suicide.
The biography described her focus as telling the stories of families who had lost officers to suicide and helping officers who felt they had nowhere to turn.
She also received recognition for that work. The Greg Hill Foundation previously honored Solomon as a Community Hero, citing her work supporting first responders.
First H.E.L.P. issued a statement after the search began expressing condolences to Kurt’s family, colleagues, and the Worcester law enforcement community.
Kurt Solomon Served Worcester for More Than Three Decades
Kurt’s career with the Worcester Police Department stretched back more than 30 years.
The New England Police Benevolent Association identified him as a 31-year veteran of the department and described him as a dependable officer, colleague, and friend.
Saucier similarly spoke about Kurt during Friday’s news conference, calling him an “awesome police officer and an awesome person.”
Kurt was a father of two. A family tribute said he grew up in Worcester and spent his life in the community.
His funeral is scheduled for Aug. 26 at Our Lady of the Angels Church, according to The Boston Globe.
Meanwhile, Karen remained at large on Friday evening.
Authorities have asked anyone who sees her to avoid approaching her and contact the police instead. Investigators have also continued asking residents around the search area to review surveillance footage and check their properties for anything that could help determine where she went after she was recorded on Tuesday morning.
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