CLIFTON, NJ – A seasoned law enforcement officer tragically ended his own life in a restaurant’s restroom on Tuesday afternoon. The deceased man has been identified as Passaic County Sheriff Richard Berdnik. Around 3:30 p.m., Berdnik walked into the restroom at Toros, a Turkish restaurant in Clifton. Patrons overheard a gunshot a short while later, sources disclosed.
Berdnik served a long law enforcement career prior to his death, having held the elected office since 2011. Multiple law enforcement agencies raced to the scene in order to respond to Berdnik’s self-inflicted gunshot.
Berdnik, a Democrat, had retired from the Clifton police force where he served for over 30 years. Prior to running for sheriff, Berdnik commanded the juvenile division and the SWAT team.
According to his department’s website, Berdnik was a married man with four adult children and grandchildren. He was also an alumnus of Clifton High School. Reflecting on Berdnik’s death, former Clifton Mayor James Anzaldi expressed his heartfelt sorrow, remembering Berdnik as the “salt of the earth.”
State Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin referred to Berdnik’s passing as an “unfathomable loss for New Jersey.” The news broke amidst unrest in the sheriff’s department, including planned layoffs and recent arrests of two department officers.