06/16/2026
On June 8, 2026, Maple Heights PD lost a valued officer and friend- Matthew Thomas. Matt was always present with a smile on his face and a good attitude. He was Officer of the Year in 2023 and was one of our top Field Training Officers (FTO), responsible for training many of our current patrol staff. He will be missed for his dedication, his superb work ethic, and his positive attitude and leadership.
Underneath this work persona, though, there were issues. We can never forget the toll this job takes on people. It is easy for the public to forget that those who wear the badge are people behind the badge. We are generally called to fix problems. The police do not get called when everything is going well. The trauma we see and try to mitigate adds up over the years. We get good at masking our stress, but silently it accumulates. Hidden. Waiting for the right time to manifest.
First responder training emphasizes wellness and work-life balance more than it ever has in the past. We have chaplains, peer support groups, and Employee Assistance Programs (EAP) to help officers. We work on internal and external support mechanisms and programs (Back the Blue, Thin Blue Line, etc.), but we need to do more. There should be no stigma to talking about problems and issues- but there is. There should be no hesitation to get mentally healthy when we routinely focus on physical health- but there is. Beneath this built-up trauma from work and existing personal challenges, our friend Matt succumbed to the pressure. We pray that no other first responders (or anyone) ever feel there is no way out nor answers to the pressures and problems of life.
We support Matt’s wife, daughter and family. We will strive in Matt’s honor to strengthen our mental wellness programs. Please keep all first responders, but especially our Maple responders, in your thoughts and prayers as we lay our brother to rest. We will continue to provide our community service because we are professionals. We will work to improve our mental health. We will look to the support of our community as we serve them daily. They are the reason this job matters to us- safeguarding our community. We will support mental health programs and others who have endured this type of senseless tragedy.
MHPD thanks all who reached out with support. We have been silent so far out of respect. We have been supporting the family and our work family the whole time. It is now time to lay to rest our brother, and we will do so with sadness and respect.
May you be at peace now, brother…
Chief Todd Hansen
